


a room full of my safest sounds

by plaxhums



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Keith (Voltron), Klance AU Month, M/M, One Shot Collection, Platonic Cuddling, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-09-13 05:58:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plaxhums/pseuds/plaxhums
Summary: The fall into each other is easy and comfortable.





	1. morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Lance tries to hit every suggestive song in the book before he gets shoved off of the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating: strong t

_“Keeeeith.”_

The eye he didn’t have completely buried into the pillow snapped open, assaulted by the bright morning light squeezing in past the blinds that fell over their bed. He groaned and pressed his face wholly into the pillow when Lance snickered above him. An impossibly warm leg brushed along his, or maybe it was the other way around - their legs were too tangled to tell them apart and it was too early to matter.

“K _eith.”_ A brush of cool fingertips up his shirt, over his side.

Keith squirmed under Lance’s weight, words muffled into his pillow. “It’s barely 7 am, Lance.”

“7:16, actually.” Lance dropped a gentle kiss to the spot behind Keith’s ear, pulling a hum from Keith. Lance buried his nose in Keith’s hairline as his fingers greedily wormed their way under him to press against the flat of Keith’s stomach. His fingertips quickly warmed against the skin, between him and the mattress, pressing determinedly wherever they could reach.

Keith huffed and flipped over, crowding his face into the crook of Lance’s neck. “It’s sleep in day, remember?”

He didn’t get a response apart from Lance crowding closer to him, molding his every dip and curve to Keith. Lance stayed still to Keith keep rested in the space between his neck and shoulder, the warn white t-shirt he wore loose around his neck giving Keith easier access to more skin. Lance brushed his fingers through Keith’s hair, sweeping his bangs away from his face.

Keith felt the pull of sleep curling itself over him, sinking in his veins and putting the world into a muffled buzz at the fringes of his mind. Fell more and more and more, until everything was just warm and perfectly quiet-

Lance rolled his hips fluidly against Keith’s and pressed his knee between Keith’s legs, quick to repeat the motion.

Keith’s breath was punched out of him as his eyes flew open and his body tried to sit up, but was held down by Lance’s weight. _“Lance, oh my god.”_

He shuddered as he registered Lance trapped between them, hot and heavy through the thin cloth of their underwear. Another cant of those hips and Keith almost swallowed his tongue.

_“It’s 7 a.m.!”_

Lance snorted, his lips brushing teasingly at Keith’s temple. “REM sleep, babe.”

Hips rolled against his again, slow and deliberate, Lance’s length sliding over his hipbone. This time a hiccuped breath tickled the hair by Keith’s ear and he bit back a groan, rumbling deeper than the one from earlier. He was going to die. Lance was going to kill him and his last memory on Earth would keep him unsettled and restless as he felt his own dick twitch where it was just as trapped between them.

“ _Fuck, wh-”_ Keith’s words died in his throat, crumbling into an embarrassingly high pitched keen as Lance laced their fingers together.

Lance carefully brushed his teeth over the juncture of Keith’s jaw before smiling against the sensitive skin. “Humor me.”

Keith fought against his hold, only serving to tighten the sheets around him and uncover his toes, leaving them open to the chilly morning air of the apartment. “No, it’s 7 a.m., you animal.” He bit back a smile as Lance’s laugh rumbled against his own chest.

_“Climb on board, we’ll go slow…”_

“Nope, no. We are not doing that.” Keith arched his neck back to get away from the trail of bites Lance had started to press along his jaw bone. It only got him an open mouthed kiss - hot and wet as Lance continued to sing lowly.

 _“Hold me hard and mellow.”_

Another grind had heat flooding Keith’s face. 

_“I love to hold you close, tonight and always. I love to wake up next to you….”_ Lance kissed him deeply, catching Keith off guard when he opened his mouth to protest and twisting his intent into a warm slide of Lance’s tongue against his. Lance yanked away and grinned. _“So we’ll piss off the neighbors. In the place that feels the tears, the place to lose your fears. Yeah, reckless behavior-!”_

Keith wanted nothing more than for the bed to swallow him whole because there was no way Lance was going to let him live it down that he got Keith riled up by singing in a falsetto that wasn’t exactly terrible with morning breath. Especially when Keith was supposed to be adamantly putting a stop to this. 

He slapped his hand over Lance’s mouth and kicked at his shin. “Stop. We’re going to get a noise complaint about the cat yowling.”

Lance scrunched his eyebrows together and brought Keith’s hand down from his mouth. “But we don’t have a cat.”

Keith smirked, his eyebrows disappearing up into his bangs. _“Exactly.”_

His boyfriend squawked and slapped Keith’s side. “You’re literally the worst and ruining the mood.”

Keith rolled his eyes at that. “You woke me up the one day of the week we get to sleep in together because you’re hard and you’re singing sex songs at me instead of letting me go back to sleep. There is no mood because I’m not falling for this.”

“Well, maybe it would work better if you stopped interrupting me. Besides, I’ve only gotten to sing one song in the repertoire.”

“I think you’re missing the point. The problem isn’t that you haven’t sung the right song yet, it’s that this is even a thing to begin with.”

Lance propped his chin in his hand, his gaze cool and calculated down at Keith. “You’ve clearly never been shown the joys of a sex playlist and I accept the responsibility that I’ve failed as your s/o by letting you go this long in life without that very necessary revelation.” Lance ducked down into the sheets and shoved Keith’s shirt up, baring his middle. He bushed his hand over Keith’s hipbone and pressed another open mouthed kiss on Keith.

His body was a fucking traitor for shuddering as Lance’s breath ghosted over his abs, couldn’t stop the muscles from contracting and earning him another breathy giggle from Lance. He felt Lance’s hand move from his hip to trace over the waist band of his underwear until he got to the patch of hair under his navel.

_“If you wanna be with me, baby, there’s a price to pay. I’m a genie in a bottle - you gotta rub me the right way.”_

Keith snatched Lance’s fingers away from the sensitive area and yanked his body back up Keith’s by the collar of his shirt. “Absolutely not.”

Lance giggled as he unwound Keith’s hand from his shirt and twisted his other hand around in Keith’s grip until they were holding hands. He pushed them up, resting on top of the pillow above Keith’s head. He squeezed their hands together. “Aw, no Xtina?”

“I’ve heard Veronica talk about you guys dancing to that album repeatedly as kids to even want to think about it being even remotely sensual.”

“Okay, so one - that wasn’t supposed to be common knowledge and I’m going _to kill her._ And two - that’s….actually incredibly sweet. I’ll let that one go.” Lance dropped a kiss to Keith’s nose. “But I won’t be thwarted.”

“Why are you like this???”, Keith groaned.

Lance rose up on his knees, still holding Keith’s hands, and settled on Keith’s lap, a keen caught him off guard at the friction it caused. But he was determined and he had yet to be shoved off of the bed and he was going to take it as far as he could.

And Keith knew that.

Could read it on his face as Lance leaned over him, that insufferable and endearing gleam still in his eye. He trailed his nose down Keith’s hair line until he got to his ear and nipped at Keith’s earlobe. _“Yooooou….Your sex is on fire - consumed with what’s to transpire.”_

The falsetto was definitely gone and in its place was something more raw, almost hoarse and it had been proven multiple times before that Lance’s deeper morning voice _did things_ to Keith. Keith sucked in a breath and steadied his nerves because he wasn’t about to give in.

“No, no, no, no.” Keith shifted his weight and finally managed to up end enough of Lance’s weight to sit up abruptly, catching Lance by the elbow before he could fall off the bed. “Sex should literally _never_ be on fire.”

Lance settled more comfortably in Keith’s lap and _preened_. “I’m pretty sure that night in Cali would disagree.”

Keith flopped back on the bed and brought Lance’s pillow on top of his face as he felt the flush go from his hairline right down to his toes. “Shut _up_.”

And that memory had something singing in his veins. Stealing any solid comeback because Lance had him there - Keith had been wrecked that night. Lance was no better, but a desperation had fueled Keith as Lance had rocked into him agonizingly slow and deep. They had been pressed impossibly close, his skin alight with every point of contact between them. A thought he meant to keep quiet in the moment had slipped out without his permission - something embarrassingly corny about burning, smoldering, falling to ashes under Lance’s touch and how much he loved it and him.

He felt Lance lay back over him, propping himself up on his elbow on top of the pillow over Keith’s face. “Don’t smother yourself, I can’t afford the rent here on my own.”

Keith moved the pillow enough to peak out from under it. “You’re the worst.”

“So I’m told. I have you around to keep me humble. Lance snatched the pillow away from Keith’s face and tossed it across the room, narrowly missing the glass bowl filled with change that sat on top of the dresser. He leaned down close to Keith’s ear and damn near _screeched_ just like the kid in the vine. _“My head spinning around I can’t see clear no more….What are you waiting for?”_

“How long is this going to last?”

“I think we’ve definitely proven each other’s stamina by now, babe.” Lance smirked, biting his bottom and winking as he dragged his hand down the front of Keith’s shirt and slowly, pushed it up Keith’s torso. Goosebumps rose on Keith’s skin the wake of the long, dark fingers trailing over his middle.

_“The way that Gucci look on you, amazing. But nothing can compare to when you’re naked…”_

_“Lance,”_ Keith monotoned.

“Hm, not that one?” Lance shifted against him, catching a groan in his throat as his hips lost themselves into a motion. 

He still had that goofy smile slapped across his face and Keith didn’t feel so bad for Lance when he picked up singing again - this time the dramatic car singing Lance fell into every time they went somewhere together. 

_“Let’s just turn down the lights and close the door. Ooh, I love that dress but you won’t need it anymore. No you won’t need it no more. Let’s just kiss ‘til we’re naked, baby. Versace on the floor.”_

Keith freed his hands from Lance’s and held his face in his hands. “We literally do not own anything from either those brands, Lance.”

Lance turned his face to kiss Keith’s palm, humming. “You have zero imagination. And I’m not hearing you saying you dislike the songs. _Ooh_ , I have another one for you! How about this?

 _“Boy, you got my heartbeat runnin’ away, beating like a drum and it’s coming your way.”_ Lance grabbed the bend of Keith’s knee and hooked it over his hip. Grinning maniacally as Keith’s eyes widened and he tried to put distance back between them, his laughter making the attempt weak.   _  
_

_“Can’t you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? He got that super bass.”_

Lance punctuated the beats with sharp rolls of his hips, knocking the wind out of Keith as he grabbed Lance’s hips in an effort to stop him and failing. Even Lance gave into his own laughter, losing the motion and slumping against Keith. He let go of Keith’s knee, but it stayed lazily curled around his hip. 

Lance moved a little off of Keith to let him get comfortable again and fixed the blankets back over them.

“Mmm, I bet you’re feeling unbelievably charmed right now.” Lance winked at Keith.

He snorted in response. “I’m feeling a lot of things right now and I can guarantee that’s not one them. You’re such a hassle.”

Lance kissed him on the mouth, tame and gentle. He tucked Keith’s hair behind his ear as his mouth brushed over Keith’s as he spoke. “You’re a terrible liar.”

 

* * *

 

Keith’s eyes snapped open for the second time that morning, the light through the blinds now fell down over the middle of the bed. He tossed back the covers and got up, opening the bedroom door to hear Lance singing along quietly to the radio and moving around the kitchen.

He yawned, walking up behind Lance to rest his forehead between Lance’s shoulders as he flipped a pancake in the pan on the stove. “I fell asleep.”

Lance chuckled. “You fell asleep.”

A flushed heated Keith’s cheeks. “Sorry, didn’t meant to just…leave you like that?”

Lance turned around, looping his arms around Keith and bringing him closer to rest his head on his chest. “It’s fine. It’s sleep in day and all. I wasn’t seriously going to wake you up for sex.”

Keith lifted his head, digging his chin into Lance’s sternum. “Let the record show I’m not completely against the idea.”

Lance dropped a kiss to the top of Keith’s head. “Noted. I’ll have the stenographer type it up later.”

“Also, I’d like to show my appreciation.” Keith cocked his eyebrow and took Lance’s hands from around him, more than a little proud of himself for falling to his knees so seamlessly and the shocked look on Lance’s face he got in return.

_“Oh.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I've had this in my head for like a year.
> 
> \- originally posted on [ tumblr](http://plaxhums.tumblr.com) come chat with me or send in prompts.


	2. showers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> post-battle goods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating: m

“Hey, Kogane.” 

Keith looks up, blinking himself back to his surroundings and getting caught right in the tired but happy blues dancing with a satisfied light. Lance’s hair sweeps across his forehead, sweat matting and curling the strands above his brow. It was probably weird or gross and Lance would probably die if Keith brought it up, but he looks _really good_ like this. And maybe it’s the adrenaline drowning out his common sense, he still lets his eyes flick over Lance - wandering down the hall with only half of his armor still on. The boy hears that he looks fine (just in the _‘does thing look weird just by itself?’ ‘no, you look fine’_ sense) in the flight suit just _once_ and suddenly, it’s a thing™ he feels the need to parade around in from time to time. Especially in front of Keith.

Not that he’s complaining.

But Lance is absolutely going out of his way to tumble out of the maw of Blue, secure his bayard at his hip, yank off his arm and chest plates, and come find Keith no matter where he is or what he’s doing. The whole routine is a little endearing, Keith thought, as Lance lifts up his helmet and bumps it against Keith’s, where he held it at his middle.

“You weren’t _terrible_ out there today.”

Keith scoffs, side stepping Lance and making his way for his room - he needed his armor off _yesterday_. He waves his helmet back over his shoulder as he shouts back, “Thanks, I’ll try not to let that go to my head.”

Keith takes a deep breath and ducks under the steaming spray of the shower head, lets it drum a soothing pattern over his shoulders. He’s in no hurry to immediately scrape the dirt and sweat from his skin, just focuses on relaxing his muscles as the water beats down his back. The water’s near scalding and he’s never been more appreciative of alien technology in this moment where we can just zone out under the water without an abrupt temperature change. Definitely doesn’t take the phenomenal water pressure for granted as it helps ease the knot just under his shoulder blade.

Who knew an intergalactic space war would be what convinces him of the positives of longer showers over just ones of necessity?

He scrubs a hand through his hair the same time knuckles gently wrap against the shower door behind him. Without looking back, he smirks at the person no doubt on the other side of the opaque shower door. Keith rolls his fingers over a bruise forming on his bicep from blocking a shot from a training bot as the door swings open and gently closed. He smiles to himself as he hears bottles being set on a shelf, the happy hum of a tune he doesn’t recognize echoing off the tile.

Keith reaches for the nondescript shampoo bottle at his side, half a second from pushing down on the pump when a hand snatches his. Long, dark fingers curl over his and he rolls his eyes as he turns to follow the direction his arm is yanked in.

 _“Bup, bup, bup!”_ Lance brings their hands to his chest, pressing a kiss to Keith’s knuckles. “I brought the good stuff to use. We’re better than blanket use shampoo-conditioner-body wash, Keith.”

He snorts, “Only the 30th time we’ve had this conversation and I’ve told you I’m perfectly okay with using it.”

Lance’s thumb brushes over the delicate skin of his wrist. “Your dry ends deserve better and if you insist on keeping the mullet, I’m going to put my blood, sweat, and tears into making it look presentable. We’re the face of universe defenders, a coalition, and, for some planets, their very first interactions with human beings from Earth. I won’t have your mullet sully Earth’s reputation when we have come along way in the self care department.”

“Not a mullet,” Keith quips, holding his hand out for Lance to dole out the good shampoo into his palm. “And I still think your obsession with it borders on insane. I feel like I’m supposed to be jealous or like the other guy.”

Lance works shampoo into his own hair, running his fingers circularly over his scalp. He snorts. “Yeah, that’s it. I’m very much in love with your bad haircut you insist is just _‘lack of a haircut’_ because it’s still a committed decision you made and continue to make knowing full well there are up to code scissors on this ship that would do you a world of good.”

Keith scrubs his hands through his hair, working up the lather and mimicking Lance, circling his blunt nails against his scalp…and maybe pushing his hair into a mohawk while Lance is busy with his own hair care routine. “Hm, are you going to monologue this entire time or…?” Keith doesn’t wait for Lance’s answer, steps back to the shower head and tries not to laugh under the water from the indignant noise made over his shoulder.

A warm palm presses over his hip, the slide of soap making it something that tugs at Keith’s middle, a breath caught in his throat as steps out from the water. Lance pushes his hair back from his eyes and makes sure no soap washes into them when Keith does open his eyes.

“I _do not_ monologue and I definitely wouldn’t do it about something as uncool and _unstylish_ as your hair. And don’t think I didn’t see the shampoo mohawk, because I _so_ did.” The grin that breaks across Lance’s face is infectious, Keith doesn’t really mind as Lance looks over him, _all of him_ , that heat in his belly unfurling - familiar and not unwelcome. Lance bites his lip, eyes darting over Keith’s face with the glint in his eye Keith sees in his sleep. “Hi, by the way.”

Even as he turns to fully face Lance, the hand at his hip doesn’t fall away, only splays itself out further against his toned abdomen. Calloused fingertips graze the jut of hip. “Hey.”

Without another word, Lance leads Keith to step back under the water, careful not to trip him or get water in his eyes as he starts to wash the rest of the soap out of Keith’s hair. Keith’s only given a moment to miss the warmth at his hip before Lance’s fingers massage his neck. They’re standing so close, Keith can almost feel the warmth coming off of Lance’s body. Can still smell the faint traces of his nice deodorant. Doesn’t realize he’s said the last part out loud until Lance is bringing Keith’s head out from under the water to snort at him.

“Well, if I didn’t know you were stupidly in love with me before, I do now.” Lance scrunches his nose, brows coming together in disbelief. “All I can smell is sweat.”

Keith doesn’t respond, feels a little victory for not blushing. Moments like these can just exist between them because Lance is not wrong, it’s actually so true it hurts to think about sometimes. His body doesn’t know what to do with the sheer amount of happiness he feels with this boy from Cuba and the faint constellation of freckles across his nose and it’s common knowledge.

Lance lets go of him to get to the row of bottles on the shower shelf and works more product through his hair. Keith steps into his space and rests his forehead against Lance’s collarbone. “You made me this way, now you have to deal with the consequences.” He presses his mouth to the spot just over Lance’s heart before brushing the barest hint of teeth over the skin.

Lance’s hips cant forward the tiniest bit, a small noise of surprise rolls at the back of his throat as he continues to focus on his hair. Keith smiles against the spot and chuckles, it was getting harder to catch Lance off guard. They were growing so used to each other, so observant and attentive to each other’s reactions. Keith didn’t know if he was meant to feel a loss for it or a swell of pride that he has that information. That he gets to be the one Lance is like this with. He lets both wash over him with the hot shower water. Keith steps fully back under the water with Lance, pressing his hand to Lance’s strong core and over to his hip, mimicking Lance’s touch on him earlier. Only Keith isn’t as good at staying still. Something in him thinks it borders on criminal to not move as he runs his palms appreciatively up and down Lance’s sides. Careful of the light bruise blooming on Lance’s side, Keith lightly presses his fingers into the muscle just under the minor injury - a bow sweep from Allura during training. 

His mind circles back, like it does almost every time Lance takes off an article of clothing (it was really starting to get bad, Lance teased him relentlessly about just needing his socks to get Keith going - which was definitely not a thing). He’s grateful for it all. That he’s the person that gets to be this close to Lance. The last person he sees at night and the first he sees in the morning, morning breath and bedhead included from where Keith had combed his fingers through it during the night. Sees his scars and commits them to his memory with reverence. Traces the fresher ones with a lighter touch, avoids the ones that are new and need more time. Knows about the sensitive corner of the scar he got on his back protecting Coran, how everything was perfectly healed, but those few nerve endings twinged if he slept wrong or lit up as Keith circled his arms around Lance’s middle and clung to his shoulders in the moments they were one.

It’s not just the physical intimacy, the emotional too, as difficult of a hurdle that became some days, it’s worth it. All of that work and time and care and he has this incredibly kind and smart and brave and ridiculous person that’s seen all of his scars too - not just the surface ones - and stayed, loving every little piece Keith offers.

“Don’t even think I’m letting you out of here without conditioning, Red.”

Keith eyes snap up from the random tile he’s apparently been staring down and does feel his face flush this time when he meets Lance’s eyes. He doesn’t wait, doesn’t warn him one bit before he’s stepping into Lance’s space and crashing his mouth against Lance’s. It’s awkward, the angle’s wrong and Lance’s hands are lathered in conditioner on the top of his head, but it doesn’t matter. Both in that it’s still good and in no time, Lance is bringing his hands down to wrap around Keith’s waist and crowd him closer. The angle changes and there’s conditioner that smells like coconut smeared across his back as their lips finally slot together. They don’t bother with working up to deeper kisses, just jump right in because they’ve both flown the Red Lion so impulses and heat are a common thing between them. Lance’s tongue is quick to run across Keith’s bottom lip, retreating as Keith pays the movement back in kind before opening his mouth and letting Lance in. Gives himself to the sweep of Lance’s tongue and pitched noise of satisfaction bubbling up his throat because this is what he’s been wanting since that, _“You weren’t terrible,”_ line. Banish all of the space between them as their hips brush against each other and the friction has both of their breaths catching in their throat.

Lance is the first to pull away. A shudder wracks his frame, the same time he presses a kiss to Keith’s brow. Still holding him impossibly close, hands still sliding _so_ easily over the small of Keith’s back from the conditioner. He breathes and mutters against Keith’s skin, “Okay. _Okay.”_

Pulling away is meant to be innocent, but instead turns into a dirty grind with the slick of the water adding a twist to it that embarrassingly enough has Keith seeing a few stars when he’s not even half hard. He brushes the back of his hand against Lance’s thigh and tries clear his throat. Doesn’t feel so overexposed when Lance’s hand stutters at his elbow and his voice comes out hoarse.

“Lemme, _geez_ , lemme get your conditioner.”

“Lance, _priorities_.” Infinitely proud that his own voice comes out with the deadpan he intended and not a breathy whine.

“I’ll have you know I _am_ prioritizing. We’re gonna get tired fast and I don’t want to deal with anymore than clean up and getting back to our room.” Lance didn’t offer the bottle to Keith, opts to take care of the job himself and busy his hands. He clears his throat, weight shifting from foot to foot as he catches Keith’s eye over his shoulder. “Also, like, I-I, uh, ‘m not gonna last long, _y’know_. Training and, well, _you.”_

Keith quirks his brow, not trying very hard to stop one corner of his mouth from tipping upwards. “Me?”

Lance unceremoniously slaps his hands against Keith’s heard and starts to work the conditioner into his hair. “Yes, you. You’re clinically bad for my health.”

Keith trails his finger over the curve of Lance’s hipbone, following the defined V lower. Tries to bite off a pitched groan as he draws nonsensical patterns closer and closer to Lance’s core, his dick twitching in interest. Keith has too many plans for his boyfriend. Wants to do them all here, right now, but showers are safety hazards and criminally limiting until they get back to their room - if he even survives this part. His skin tingles with a fire stoking in his middle, a whine finally slipping between his teeth when Lance is slow to rinse the conditioner out of his hair and touch Keith where he needs him most.

He just needs more and he’s willing to reciprocate if Lance would ease up on routine protocol for _two minutes._ In fact, Keith’s very sure there’s still conditioner in his hair when he reaches between their bodies and clasps his hand around Lance’s wrist.

He swallows, trying to work the words up in the desert stuck at the back of his tongue. “Don’t tease. Need this.”

Lance wraps a long, strong arm around his waist, bringing Keith as close as he can and up a little bit, his other hand falling to the head of Keith’s cock. Lance dips his finger into the slit, smearing pre over him. Shower handjobs are by far one of the more innocent things they’ve done, there’s been times Keith felt Lance in him days after, his skin singing with a phantom grip at his hips and the bend of his knee. Training and adrenaline and a moment where team bonding is absolutely not needed and Zarkon and his gremlin cronies have fucked off long enough for him and Lance to have _this_ for the first time in a phoeb.

In English, _too long._

Knows it has because he’s fully hard in no time and hanging onto Lance for dear life as his knees threaten to go weak when he brings them together. Doesn’t know what to do with the heat that burns from every point their hips touch down to his toes and fingertips. Hiccups as Lance’s fingers brush back over his head to work through another few drops of precome and grips them harder together.

Wills his mind to be quiet because so what if he’s ready to let go and pass out in the shower stall? It’s already well documented and proven that Lance is very onboard with the effect he has on Keith and vice versa. Keith drags the palm of his hand down Lance’s front, tracing the faint line of abs on his lean torso. He considers touching him to, but afraid it would ruin the glorious rhythm Lance has going. He gives it his all, drawing out full body tremors from Keith as much as he can when he holds them just so and slides his hand, gripping harder on the end of a twist. Another pull and it has Keith raising up on his toes, fingernails raking at the nape of Lance’s neck. The heat of the shower smoldering, but absolutely perfect as Lance’s mouth drops open and Keith can feel the heavy puff of breath against his ear.

There’s no way he’s going to last much longer and he needs to make Lance feel good. Needs to be sure that everything Keith is being thrust through gets fully reciprocated on Lance’s end. Lance’s thumb pushes just under his head and before he knows it, his mouth’s on Lance’s neck. Pressing hot, open mouthed kisses against the hollow of his throat, teasingly brushing against his adam’s apple, and nips at the corner of Lance’s jaw.

 _“A-ah,_ f-hah _, fuck_. Keith _.”_

Keith wraps a hand around Lance’s between them, the other still locked around his neck, and works with him - firmer grip and a tug that has Lance’s back arching the same moment Keith sucks a mark into his neck. Any pace Lance started with is thrown out the air lock to crest to a desperate fumble. It takes Keith a full minute to realize it’s _him_ making the keening sound, chasing his end and Lance’s without care for anything else around them.

It catches him off guard.

His orgasm sweeps over him a beat before Lance’s. He went into this knowing he wouldn’t last, but he figured his body would have given him a heads up. Instead it’s the proverbial carpet being snatched out from under him as he squeezes Lance’s hand over them to stop as overstimulation sets in. He holds Lance to him for as long as he can. Takes his time to get the feeling back in his knees, brushing his hand through Lance’s hair. Keith allows himself to move back enough to kiss the thin scar that bisects Lance’s right eyebrow. Lance doesn’t appear to be in any more of a hurry, he begins to sway a little with Keith in his arms and hum that tune Keith still doesn’t recognize.

Eventually, they have to move.

Keith doesn’t really want to.

But Lance gets them going again, cradling Keith’s jaw in his hands and kisses him chastely on the mouth, cheekbone, his hairline. “Hm, c’mon. We need to finish up here.”

“Can we nap and cuddle after?”

 _“God, yes.”_ Lance wriggles his eyebrows, giving Keith a once over that leaves him feeling warm all over again. “Then, food and round two? I’m not picky on the order those two things happen.”

Round two accidentally starts with the clean up, the scent of Lance’s body wash heavy in the air because impatience is also a common - _wonderful_ \- trait they share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º) [tumblr](https://plaxhums.tumblr.com)


	3. we rule the kingdom inside my room // king of my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> modern royalty au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating: t

“Wait, you’re a _what_?”

The word has more bite than he means, the sound causing Lance to flinch as it slaps awkwardly against Shiro’s clean, off-white walls. Keith’s fighting panic - not because of the word itself, but the possibility that this is some horrible prank he’s being slapped on the end of. 

Wouldn’t be the first time he just _walked right into_ one of Lance’s jokes or puns. But they had stayed pretty tame, Lance never took it past a certain degree and Keith had gotten Lance to fall for a few of his own. It was some personal mantel Lance had taken up against Keith that turned into their one and only outlet for flirting before they had the Good Ol’ Feelings Talk. 

This isn’t how he wanted to end their night, he demands soft and comfortable and fucking adorable because _they deserve this._

Their date was supposed to be dinner with Shiro, then cuddling on the couch while they bummed off of Shiro’s Netflix account and Shiro washed the dishes (he adamantly insisted on them not helping him - in hindsight, it was blatantly obvious as a ploy to conveniently be absent at the scene of the crime). They were supposed to watch a few episodes of a show and kiss intermittently until Shiro kicked them out of his apartment to go make out on one of their own couches. Even though they did a pretty good job about keeping themselves in check as guests or if other people were around them together at either his or Lance’s. They didn’t just disappear behind a bedroom door every time someone turned around and that’s supposed to mean the universe meets them halfway because honestly, _have people seen_ Lance???

Keith deserves a medal for this kind of self-control.

For what it’s worth, Lance looks physically pained by the audible gulp as he swallows around a lump in his throat. The one in Keith’s damn near cuts out his breathing entirely.

“I’m a prince?”

Keith raises his eyebrows, bites the inside of his cheek. “Are you asking me?”

Lance scrubs his hands over his face - Keith bites back the urge to tell him his face is going to get red and splotchy, catches himself from reaching into Lance’s hoodie that he’s wearing for the stem toy in the pocket or from handing over the good hair tie on his own wrist. A part of Keith enjoys seeing Lance sweat so much because if this is a joke…if this is Pidge and Hunk barreling out of the closet with the washer and dryer armed with a camera in the next twenty seconds, he wants this moment to not be easy.

Eventually, they were going to have their first fight.

So like, if it’s tonight, Keith’s…He doesn’t wa-

He ignores another urge to beg Lance to just forget it and call the ultimate forever truce on the joke-rivalry thing they used to exhaust the unresolved tension they stored up. He feels heat flush the back of his neck because this is dramatic, he’s being dramatic, everything’s going to be fine. Lance will backpedal and Keith will stand to punch him in the arm and call him an asshole for all of the grief and Shiro will quip in with some sage dating advice that assists Lance and Keith in the development and maturity of their relationship because his life is a sitcom. 

That’s not what happens when Lance abruptly goes back to pacing Shiro’s living room, muttering under his breath in Spanish. _“Verónica hizo esta mirada **fácil**.”_

Shiro’s head pops around the corner of the kitchen, sweeping his gaze over them and Keith begs, _wills_ , him to understand and do what Keith needs without him verbalizing it.

To tell Lance this isn’t funny.

Demand to know how he thought it would be okay.

To kick him out.

To make him stay until Keith could sort out whatever nightmare he was in and for reality to fall back into its rightful place where Lance would kiss him just short of breathless and ask if he wanted to go out for ice cream or have an impromptu sleepover in their PJs watching cartoons until they fell asleep. 

Or tell Keith that class and work had reduced him to a feverish haze that induced hallucinations. 

Instead, Shiro is Shiro.

“Hey.”

Keith holds his breath, lets it out and allows his heart to break a little when he realizes he isn’t talking to Keith, but to Lance. With that soft, _“Go, be great.”_ look that softens the corners of his eyes and stretches the scar across his nose.

“Deep breaths, Lance.”

It’s just so… _hurtful_.

The way it instantly gets Lance to relax his lanky frame in a _whoosh_ before he’s squaring his shoulders again. Shiro doesn’t offer anything for Keith before he’s ducking back into the kitchen and the sound of the tap echoes throughout the room.

“I…Well technically, _Rachel_ _and I_ , are- We won the birth lottery? _Fuck_ , I’m doing the question thing again. Okay, so. I’m a prince. My parents are the King and Queen of my home country, but not as absolute monarchs? We encourage our people to vote for their leaders in a government that was formed when my great-great grandparents were kids and make their homeland a good place and we do fancy shindigs with really old money and jewels to _raise money_ or bring attention to issues we care about and build relationships with other world leaders outside of UN proceedings. We’re just figureheads with antique china, but I digress.”

Keith drops his head in hands and swears.

_“Language.”_

He glares in the direction of the kitchen before cutting his gaze back on Lance. “H-how did you keep this a secret? _Why_ did you keep this a secret for so long?”

Lance shrugs, a moment of nonchalance weaving through his frame before the tension settled back over his shoulders. “England shoulders most of the spotlight, but also, we’re a small Latino country most people aren’t aware have a royal family. Especially Westerners.”

Grime paints the inside of Keith’s mouth as he breathes out an, _“Oh.”_ He recovers, scowls. “That only answers one of my questions.”

“Well, it wasn’t just _my_ secret to tell now, was it? Rachel and I are here for school, this university has one of the best engineering programs out there and we wanted to travel without the hassle. _Plus_ , I was dying to go to Disney World. It isn’t something I just want to tell people right off the bat, you get treated differently. People expect perks of being chummy with a royal. Gets even weirder when you’re being hit on by one. Also, I’m pretty sure you would have punched me if I hit on you then followed that up with the _‘I’m a Prince’_ spiel.”

Keith folds his arms and flops back on the couch. “If memory serves, you got my number from Pidge’s phone to ask me about an assignment for a class I wasn’t even in.”

A small smirk tips the corner of Lance’s mouth up and warms his eyes. “I had to get creative with you, you were exceptionally good at deflecting and I have a desperate need to embarrass myself in front of you - if your memory serves more than one dish.” Lance takes a step toward the couch and nods to the spot beside Keith, waits for Keith’s _whatever_ shrug in return before sitting down heavily. “I wasn’t going to bring necessary drama into it if by chance we didn’t work out and you blocked my number and stole all of my friends with your bad haircut and cool fingerless gloves in a few weeks.

“I knew if and when I started seeing someone, I would wait until a certain point to make sure mutual attraction and dating interest were still a thing. But I also knew that waiting longer would make it worse and hurt someone I really care about. Kind of sucks because in action, I’m hurting them either way. I didn’t want to just shove all of this onto you if I didn’t have to, but _this-”_ Lance points at the space between them, hand staying a measured distance from Keith’s. “-is going somewhere, so I need to. This isn’t some grandiose plot for me to live out some Disney prince fantasy where I whisk you away on some breathtaking journey.”

“So, what is this then?”

Lance takes a deep breath and nods his head in the direction of the kitchen. “I wanted you to be somewhere you’d feel safe and familiar, near a person that has managed to get through your thick skull how validated your convoluted, mullet head is in everything you think and feel. You deserve to steer the course of your life and, if you’re with me, I can’t promise either of us will be in charge at any given time because of my responsibilities and the scrutiny that comes down with it. And like, as much as it would hurt to watch you go…if you don’t want to see me again, I can do that too.”

Keith knows his eyebrows are doing that thing where they disappear behind his bangs, opens and closes his mouth a few times hoping the words would rearrange and settle in his head long enough for him to unpack it…somehow. Shiro with his winning timing and eavesdropping abilities saves them both the trouble with a long-suffering sigh from around the corner.

_“Dial it back a bit, Lance.”_

The breath Lance sucks in shakes and rattles in his chest, jerks his knee in a disjointed reflex that knocks against Keith’s. “Right, yeah. Promised I would try being less dramatic.”

Keith feels the right amount of sorry for himself - he figures he’s owed that because they’re either breaking up or well, Keith honestly has no clue what the other option means. What it will lead to. What it will do to them. But the aborted laugh Lance tries for sounds wet and his dumb heart twists violently in his chest, tries to drop kick one of his lungs, and beats at his ribs like a xylophone.

Even after Lance has run his fingers through his hair so many times by now that it sticks up at odd angles and his color looks a bit off, there’s still the smart press of his shirt and subtle hints of cologne that Keith would die for at this point. He thought this would have been easy, he managed not to beat around the bush with Lance - even though he was terrified Lance wouldn’t feel the same way and it would grind their friendship into dust. God, the first time they kissed?

The first time Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair and brushed his nails lightly over his scalp at the base of his skull?

Earlier that day when everything had still been simple and the only surprise was the full body shudder that caught both of them off guard at the press of Keith’s mouth against the soft corner of Lance’s jaw.

He needs to realize this was never simple, especially for Lance. It means Keith has to deal with a lot of feelings a lot sooner than he anticipated. But now there was this time crunch? Keith needed to either get very serious very fast or end this with Lance.

And he really, really, _really_ did not want to end this.

Keith takes a deep breath, buries a hand in the pocket of the hoodie to ghost his fingers over the familiar stem toy. “You’re giving me an out at any time?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want me to take it?”

“To protect you? Yes. Honestly, though? I can be pretty damn selfish when it comes to you. I want you to stay. I want to work through this so I can take you back home to make out in the huge hall full of period artwork. There’s a pretty comfy antique couch that’s right under this huge painting that was gifted to like my sixth great-grandparents.”

And there was the magnetic energy that had Keith’s fingertips buzzing under Lance’s hooded gaze, just like that. 

“I figured we could keep doing this, y’know? We have four more months of the school year left and if we survive finals week, that’d put us at six months of dating. That’d be okay-ish time, I think, to ask my boyfriend of six months to spend his first week of summer vacation with me to meet my family doing cool rich kid stuff to impress the shit out of him.”

That gets Keith to smile, Shiro’s chuckle rounds the corner. _“Much better.”_

Lance presses their legs together as he shifts closer to Keith. “If my family doesn’t drive you up the walls or run you out of town, then we could do some public outings as a group with my siblings to see how you feel about press and stuff. Then….we’ll see?”

He watches Lance pick at a loose thread in Keith’s jeans, near his knee. Stares the movement down instead of meeting Lance’s gaze and catching his fingers when Lance starts to make the pulled thread longer. He wants so badly to voice his thoughts, communicate his fears and the crushing weight of nervousness on his chest _and_ comfort Lance, but he isn’t that brave or well-spoken. He feels a little bit better when Lance pulls his hand out from Keith’s to wrap his arm around his shoulders and pull him awkwardly into his side, a quiet understanding that neither of them has a clue what they’re doing.

Keith melts into his touch, welcomes the warm fuzz that takes over his brain when Lance begins to brush his shaggy bangs away from his forehead and ghosts his thumb over Keith’s temple.

Lance ducks his head closer to Keith’s to whisper in his ear. “ _Hm_ , I do want you to know that I’ll never be sorry for beating your top score in Space Invaders at the arcade, though. _Royally_ handing you your ass will be one of my - if not _the_ \- greatest feats on the mainland.”

 

* * *

 

 

Things don’t really change all that much.

At least, not yet.

Lance still invites him over to eat ungodly amounts of junk food while binge-watching shows on Netflix and they wind up hopelessly tangled up on the couch after fervent kisses. Rachel still comes back to their shared apartment precisely at times like those and teases Lance relentlessly until he’s burying his flushed face in the crook of Keith’s neck.

Rachel still talks to Keith and they study together for a statistics course they share.

Lance gets onto him occasionally for trying Not To Inconvenience His Royal Highness. For example, he stopped texting or calling Lance in the middle of the night if he couldn’t sleep because insomnia or stress from school because _he knows_ Lance would always drive over to Keith’s apartment, crawl into bed with him and let Keith talk it out or talk to Keith about anything and everything - sometimes in Spanish if Lance was too tired to notice the dialect swap and Keith didn’t point it out. It’s cathartic for both of them, but that was also when Lance was just a tired undergrad like him that enjoyed lavishing physical attention on Keith when he wanted it.

_‘If you stop texting me for midnight cuddling, I will literally move into your hallway closet and never leave. I’ll eat all of your snacks and take back my hoodie.’_

The only thing that did change that is driving Keith insane?

The floodgates to prince/royalty puns have opened and Keith is _this close_ to never speaking to Lance again because they’re godawful and _constant_. It takes Keith a few weeks to pick up on a portion of them being to normalize the situation and to remind him that Lance is still _Lance._

Oh, and apparently their ‘uncle’ that lives in town is actually a chaperone/bodyguard Joe-from-The-Princess-Diaries type. Keith had met him before and they got along, he liked Keith as far as he knew but now he’s rethinking every single interaction and every possible wrong step he could make because while Joe was wise and patient and kind and supportive - it was apparent he’d cut a bitch for the Queen and Mia.

Keith doesn’t want any trouble.

Weirdly enough, Lance and Rachel will randomly complain about royal things in front of him that he doesn’t really get, but it’s an opportunity for Keith to hit them back with snarky comments about royal life versus his as a mere commoner. Those always have Rachel and Lance laughing at themselves and begin the round of stories of increasingly convoluted social situations they’ve been in or had to witness.

This is the easy part, the calm before the storm, but Keith thinks he’s making great process accepting the fact that he doesn’t actually know a huge chunk of Lance’s life while simultaneously working through the minimal pain of needing to relearn the person his boyfriend actually is.

Their biggest hiccup to date was one night while they were all three crammed into Shiro’s kitchen cooking dinner, Lance asks for some seasoning and Shiro produces it with a cringe-worthy flourish, adopting some terrible combination of accents. “Your wish is my command, _Your Majesty.”_

Keith is willing to accept that this has to be how Nick felt the first time he heard Gatsby say _Old Sport_ and every thousandth time after and move along with their evening when Keith looks over his shoulder to see Lance’s hand still outstretched for the shaker and his eyes resolutely glued to the floor. A second later, Lance shakes his head to pull himself back into the moment and offers a stilted grin to Shiro in return.

“Can we, uh, not do that? I-uh. Yeah.” 

It gets them a free pass at cuddling on the couch, wrapped together like a burrito under Shiro’s good blanket, and Lance’s favorite dessert as an apology. Keith gets Lance to joke in hushed whispers, making up new dialogue or doing bad lipreading over the show they’re watching as he runs his fingers through Lance’s hair.

 

* * *

 

 

Things He Has To Relearn About His Boyfriend, A Prince

  1. just because he wanted to go to Disney, doesn’t mean he wants to live there



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted to my [tumblr](https://plaxhums.tumblr.com/)


	4. fresh eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day one of klance au month: coffee shop au.  
> rating: t

Lance checked the schedule in the back to make sure he had the day right before glancing up at the security camera feed by the front door, mentally willing a human shape to fall in front of the sunlight beaming in through the glass doors.

“Isn’t the new guy supposed to be here?”

Without looking away from the computer screen as she opened the day and responded to corporate emails, Allura rolled her eyes. “I know you must have that schedule memorized by now, Lance, so I _know_ you _know_ his name is Keith. And he informed me yesterday he would be a few minutes late due to a prior responsibility.”

Lance snorted and leaned back in the rolly chair he sat in. “That sure is a fancy way to say he hit the snooze button because he just didn’t want to get up.”

This time, Allura clicked her tongue and turned a look on him. “More like, it’s none of your business and hey, don’t you have a café to open?”

He flopped back in the chair dramatically and placed his hand over his chest. “You wound me, princess.” Lance caught Allura’s knowing smile as she turned back to her computer and hummed in acknowledgment.

“But you got it.” He shot finger guns at her even though she wasn’t looking and propelled himself out of the chair to reach for one of the aprons hung up outside of the office in their back room. “So, I guess I’m training him?”

“Until Pidge gets here as a mid, then she will take over while you man the register.”

“Ah, you mean I don’t get to break in the new guy?”

Allura huffed and rubbed her fingers over her temples. “Please do not use that phrase. I don’t need the mental image and I don’t want him to think he’s going to be hazed. He’s Shiro’s younger brother and I hired him _because_ I know _my_ coffee shop wouldn’t chew him up and spit him out like the last one did. So please, Lance, please please _please_ , do not run him off.”

Lance finished tying his apron and placed his hands on his hips. “Aw, you know I can’t say no to you when you call me _Lonce_.”

_“Lance.”_

“Going now!”

 

\- 

 

He dutifully did as he was told by the gracious and reigning queen of their café and started brewing the medium and dark roasts, double checked the dates on the bakery goods, and started in on making the fuck ton of frappe base they’re going to need to supply the college student masses on the temperature record-setting Spring day. If there was anything Lance had down pat as an employee it was unmatched focus and _killer_ playlists he listened to while he got down to it.

Which was why it was the sound of Allura’s clipped tone over the intercom system and not the beating fists on the double doors that gave him the heads up the new kid was here and wanted to be let in.

So sue him.

By the time he got to doors, there was a catty scowl targeted in his direction. Lance flipped the lock on the door and opened it for the guy to duck in.

“Took you long enough.”

Lance scoffed as he flipped the lock and pulled on the door to make sure it was secure. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. Allura’s in the back.”

“I know.”

He glared at Keith’s retreating back. Apparently, the award-winning personality and smile was not a shared family trait between this guy and Shiro. Looking beyond the bad haircut - or lack thereof - and frown lines, he couldn’t pick up on any family resemblance between the two brothers.

_Allegedly._

He turned up the volume on his phone and went back to scrubbing the dishes. Brother-In-Law apparent or not, Allura would nip his bad attitude in the bud before the doors opened for the day. So at least that would be a decent consolation prize for dealing with the grizzly bridge troll that was Keith’s morning manner.

New Guy came out a few minutes later with a name tag and in one of the pressed aprons with the coffee shop's name in looping letters across the breast as he worked to tie his hair back as he approached Lance. “Do guys have any specials today?

Lance washed the stem to the steamer on the espresso machine and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, survive and no crying into the chai.”

“Oookay?”

“So what do you know?”

“Aboout?”

When silence met him Lance turned back to Keith and frowned. “About coffee? How to make drinks?”

“Oh, I think I got it. I worked at the cafe in Lowertown, can’t be that hard.”

“Didn’t you guys specialize in boba tea?”

“We also had coffee.” Keith crossed his arms and tapped his foot anxiously. “Did I do something to piss you off? Because you’re acting kind of...”

“Kind of _what_?”

“Short. If it’s about being late, look I’m sorry. It’s not gonna happen again. Not that it’s any of your business or you’re the boss or anything.”

“If you’re looking to improve your shitty first impression with the café _lead_ , you’re not doing a great job, dude.”

“We don’t even know each other.”

Lance turned the music off on his phone and unmuted the cafe playlist on the small radio beneath the counter. He brushed past Keith and the swinging doors of the kitchen to open the front doors for the day as Ellie Goulding’s soft voice filled the quiet.

Maybe he was being a little unreasonable to the outside eye, but Lance considered himself a pretty good judge of character. And there was definitely something off about this Keith guy’s energy that didn’t vibe with him. Like he didn’t have to practically spit on Lance when he opened the door for him. Yeah, it’s frustrating to not have a coworker hear you knocking on the door for an extended period of time, but he could have just said hey and moved on.

_“Took you long enough.”_

Geez, he was probably one of those types that thought he had it all in spades because he was related to the boss.

Well, not on Lance McClain’s watch.

 

\- 

 

By the time Pidge came in, the café had seen a steady flow of its regulars and Lance did a _fantastic_ job of introducing each one of them to the new kid without a slip of sarcasm or irritation - he would like to thank the academy.

He even went so far as to warn Keith about which ones could be overly chatty and unintentionally keep him tied up in conversation if he wasn’t careful and any particulars they had with their drinks. From that, he learned that Keith’s whole thing seemed positive or negative twists on dismissive. The positive would be a slight scrunch of his eyebrows, the negative would involve some level of scrunching up his nose and furrowing his eyebrows. Scrunching and furrowing were almost the same, it was the nose thing that set them apart.

Which, okay kind of endearing, but wholly a little annoying if Lance was being honest.

Would it kill the guy to speak?

And not just the single syllable cryptic song and dance routine that was borderline robotic.

What would it take to get a full sentence out of this guy?

Pidge slid into her spot in the kitchen and took over training, showing Keith where stuff was, the trick to get the freezer open, etc. and it was like a switch. Lance could hear clear up to the register Keith’s laughter and his voice dipping and raising and monotoning in complete sentences. So again -

What the fuck?

What had he done to get the cold shoulder?

If anyone should be serving ice, it was Lance. He was the one that caught Keith’s attitude for no good reason.

_Whatever._

With any luck, he’d be there for a month before bailing and they could go back to the previous harmony they once enjoyed.

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 8 with Keith Kogane.

He rarely left the back if he didn’t need to clean a table or refill the condiment stations, so Lance’s focus immediately snapped from the cup in his hand - halfway through writing a customer’s name on the sleeve - when Keith swept through the swinging doors and made a beeline for the table an older woman sat flipping through a magazine. There was a bowl in his hands and Lance knew for a fact that the woman hadn’t ordered any food, he would know since he was the guy that rang in her order.

A throat cleared and Lance was yanked back to the customer still standing in front of him with their eyebrows raised in question.

“Sorry, spaced out there for a second.” He used his best script on the cup and asked if they wanted whip cream on it (free of charge since he was totally doing his best to bribe them with it).

Lance moved to the grinder and started cranking out the espresso beans to put into the machine while Keith was still talking with the one customer. Because of the grinder doing its thing and buzz from the cooler and music, he couldn’t hear their conversation. It was a lot of guessing on his end as the woman glanced up from her magazine as Keith asked her something, he could see the tips of Keith’s ears pink from where his hair was pulled back. Keith gestured to the mysterious bowl in his hands, to the woman, down to the service dog at her feet, topped off with the tensest shoulder shrug Lance had ever seen.

And that was saying something.

Keith was a pretty tense person as a default setting.

Lance transferred the scoop of espresso to the machine and placed the cup under it before punching the buttons and smoothly sliding to another end of the kitchen to get a better view of whatever Keith was doing.

The woman smiled and Lance watched as what had to be at least 20 years of tension leave Keith in a whoosh as his shoulders lifted and he smiled.

Honest to god _smiled_.

Like second grader on picture day and actually enjoying it for once kind of smile. Exactly the kind Lance was weak for.

He watched Keith set the bowl down in front of the dog and quietly excused himself before he left the table and came back around into the kitchen.

When he burst through the door his eyes met Lance’s and the tension was back. He scrunched his brows and looked off at a random corner of the ceiling, puffing a breath out to ruffle his bangs.

“It’s hot out today and I asked the owner if it was okay to give the dog some water. I want them to know I think they’re doing a good job.”

Lance felt his mouth work around forming words, but nothing was coming out. He blinked as he watched Keith take the cup of espresso out from the machine and pick up where Lance had left off.

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 34 with Keith Kogane.

“You know, if you’re going to offer to open, the least you could do is actually bother to do it right.” Lance agitatedly tied his apron behind his waist and grabbed a box of bar towels off a shelf.

“Wh- _Do it right?!_ I did!”

“Hm, nope.”

“Are you kidding me? I did everything on the list!”

“Yeah, _half-assed_.”

Keith punched his numbers into the register and shoved through the kitchen doors onto the floor with enough force for one to bang against the wall. “ _Bullshit_ , Lance.”

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 14 with Keith Kogane.

“Here, try this.”

Keith glanced down at the steaming cup being pushed toward him across the counter. His eyes flitted back up to Lance’s before going back to the cup. “Why?”

“Allura lets me experiment with drinks and if it’s good, she’ll let me offer it as a weekend special - if we’re not too busy, it isn’t obscenely difficult to reproduce by any of the other workers, and we have enough ingredients for our menu items first.”

“I, uh-”

Lance scoffed and folded his arms. “Dude, it’s not poisoned, quit looking like it’s gonna burn a hole through the cup and counter like acid. Besides, if it’s bad, you get the first honor of telling me so.”

Keith reached for the drink, flashing one of the smirks Lance was still learning the ins and outs of. “Well, I do really enjoy telling you when you’re wrong.”

“Good to see I picked such a gracious first contestant. Oh wait!” Lance lunged forward and took the cup from Keith’s hands, inches from his mouth. He popped the lid off and grabbed for the shaker with cinnamon in it, topping it off with a few generous shakes before flourishing it back to Keith.

Keith rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth tipping up as he reached back for the cup and took a hesitantly small sip of it. Lance watched in anticipation as Keith considered it, deemed it safe for consumption, and took a bigger drink. Lance grinned as he watched Keith’s eyes get a little bit bigger. He lowered the cup and stared at it for a moment.

“Fuck, I really, _really_ like telling you when you’re wrong, but this is actually really good.”

Lance laughed and bowed. “You’re welcome.”

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 20 with Keith Kogane.

“Here.”

Lance turned the tap water off and grabbed a bar towel to dry his hands before turning to Keith and taking the cup offered out in his hands.

Keith worried his bottom lip between his teeth as Lance popped the lid off of the cold cup and sniffed at the drink. “It’s not poisoned. It’s something I threw together a few years ago at the last cafe I worked at, my boss put it on the menu, but it’s cool if you don’t like it.”

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 9 with Keith Kogane.

If Lance had to make one more frappe he was going to throw up.

Every college-age group shuffling through the door was just another nail in his coffin. It was truly shaping up to be a shift from hell as he was taken off register and placed in the kitchen for Keith to put some miles in on it. They just seemed to keep getting busier - no one else was available to come in or come in earlier while Allura was on a conference call and Lance _wanted to die_.

If they could suddenly get people that just all so happened to want what they had already brewed or an Americano, that would be great.

Or if he could take a break and get a change of scenery with the register, that would be good too.

Because, to be honest, if he had to overhear Keith have one more social interaction that didn’t quite land, he was going to lose it. It shouldn’t be that hard. Razzle dazzle them with a smile, ask how they are, if they want any extras on their drink, insert any offhand small talk comment, crank the smile up a bit and assure them their order will be up in a moment and _that’s it._

The indifferent cool guy routine wasn’t exactly the usual coffee shop demeanor around here. Maybe it worked for the campy, pretentious gig Keith had before but Allura tended to like a more mainstream brand of atmosphere - even if they were lying through their teeth. Lance was almost 100% positive that it took Keith more energy to do whatever the hell he was doing over the polite smile and scripted dialogue every service industry tended to regurgitate on its employees.

Not that Allura was one of _those_ bosses and they were technically an independent coffee shop, but a lot of the base principles were the same.

A break in the line finally afforded Keith and Lance to get through the orders and catch their breath. Keith politely scooted the tip jar off of the counter to rifle through it, he plucked out someone’s straw wrapper and cursed them to step in gum in the parking lot before getting to a folded piece of paper tucked inside of a dollar bill.  Lance bit the inside of his cheek as Keith opened the paper, revealing a girl’s name and phone number.

Lance grabbed the paper, inspecting it. “Y’know, Allura doesn’t like it when we flirt with the customers.”

Keith snatched the paper back, crumpling it up and throwing it into the trash can. “Except _I wasn’t_ and I’m gay.”

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 23 with Keith Kogane.

“It’s very easy to see that somehow you and Keith got off on the wrong foot.”

“That’s putting it lightly, ‘Llura.”

Allura sighed and turned in her office chair to face Lance fully. “I don’t know why or how you two found just the right buttons to push with each other in such a short amount of time, but something has to give.”

Lance spun in his chair and picked at a loose thread in his pants. “Did Keith tell you ‘bout this? Because the adult thing would have been to say something to my face.”

“Keith didn’t say anything, Lance. Anyone could smell the tension off of the two of you in the next county. Neither of you is the least bit subtle. You’re incredibly alike, I had hoped you two would have been good together between your combined work experience and personalities I’d expected to mesh better.” Allura tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear and looked Lance over. “Obviously, you two enjoy defying the odds. Two seconds in the door and you were ready to butt heads.”

Lance’s chair came to an abrupt halt, the wheels screeched against the floor. “If you knew about that then _he did_ say something.”

“No, Lance.” Allura gestured up to the computer monitor with the security camera feed. “I watched you let him in that morning. I’ve known both of you now for several years and am well familiar with your body language. I should have addressed this with you two sooner, but I had hoped you would fix it yourself.”

“So, are you gonna fire us?”

Allura clicked her tongue, swatting Lance’s knee playfully. “Of course not. Consider it a soft intervention before I become officially disappointed.”

“Uggh, okay. Okay, alright, _geez_. You know I hate that word. We’ll work on it.”

Allura laughed, turning her chair back to her computer and booting it up. “Then don’t make me use it.

 

* * *

 

Shift no. 89 with Keith Kogane.

It was rare that he closed and from what he knew from Keith’s availability, he didn’t close either. So, it was a bit of surprise when Keith came bustling into the back room for an apron right before shift switch. Lance did a double take between the schedule sheet and Keith, raising his eyebrows because right there it was the entire time. It would be him, Keith, and two other people for the rest of the night.

The shift went a lot better than he expected, Keith was a solidly adept closer - not always a common occurrence when someone usually works the day shift.

As Lance locked the doors behind them for the night, Keith waited for him before walking out into the parking lot. It took him a minute to compute the number of cars left in the parking lot with the number of people - the other two employees were getting into their cars and pulling off by the time he reached his own car and whirled around to catch sight of Keith walking down the sidewalk.

“What is he doing?” Lance scratched his head, before dropping his hand and lifting his face up to the sky. “Oh my god, he’s going to be murdered.”

He got in his car and quickly caught up to Keith, slowly driving his car beside the sidewalk. “Dude, what are you doing?”

Keith looked over his shoulder and Lance knew before he even opened his mouth how much sass was about to be thrown his way - could hear _the tone_ clear as a bell in his head. “Going home.”

“Duh, but like - where’s your car?”

“In the shop. I’m headed for the bus stop and, not to be rude, but I gotta be quick if I’m going to make the stop in time.” Keith readjusted the bag on his back and faced forward again.

“No, c’mon. I’m not going to let you do that.”

“Hm, but you can’t actually stop me so...”

“Listen, I’m not about to let your dead body weigh on my conscious for the rest of my life. That causes stress and stress causes premature wrinkles and I’m too beautiful to wrinkle prematurely. Get in, I’ll give you a ride.”

He saw Keith mistep, his body freezing up before shuffling forward faster. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Do you want me to call Allura? Do you know who Allura lives with?”

At that, Keith squared his shoulders and turned back to glare at Lance. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would, actually. And I have Allura on speed dial so, you better be quick.”

“Why do you have Allura on speed dial?”

“Oh look at that, my call app is open, I’m pressing the number four, and-”

Keith swore and lunged for the passenger side door, flinging it open and plopping into the seat before closing the door. Lance’s grin was so wide it was actually starting to hurt a little after a long shift of it, but the sheer look of panic on Keith’s face was more than worth it.

“Cool. What’s your address?”

“I’m not giving you my address, you’re just going to drive me to the bus stop.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Nope, don’t think so.”

“Lance.”

_“Keith.”_

_“Lance.”_

“Look, I can go all night, dude. If you don’t tell me your address, I’m just gonna go to my place where we can have an impromptu sleepover and you can meet my roommate Hunk and my cat and we’ll watch Netflix and you’ll be a prisoner to our hospitality and an unmatched, whole-ass breakfast with your choice of pancakes or waffles.”

They came to stop at a red light, thirty feet from the bus stop when the locks clicked into place as Keith reached for the door.

“Gotta be quicker than that, Kogane.”

Keith flopped back in the seat and watched as they passed the bus stop. “Oh, do you normally kidnap people with false pretenses?”

Lance jerked in his seat, checking his rearview mirror as he switched lanes before glancing back to Keith. “Y’know I’m not gonna like murder you or anything, right? Like we had our false starts, but I don’t hate you or anything. I don’t even _dislike_ you. I actually _enjoy_ working with you. And if you don’t feel comfortable telling me your address, I can drop you off at Shiro and Allura’s. It’s just - the bus stops can get sketchy this time of night and I obviously don’t know where you live, so I don’t know what parts of town you’d be passing through and if I could have kept you from getting stabbed or murdered, then I want to.”

“You do realize I can take care of myself, right? I’m an adult. I’ve had to ride the bus before. And I work out with Shiro, so I can more than hold my own against anyone that comes along.”

He felt Keith’s eyes on him, the scrutiny a little more than unnerving because he did several stupid things in rapid succession: underestimated Keith, almost admitted more than he should, and locked Keith in his car and said he wouldn’t murder him even though that’s probably exactly what murderers say.

Keith sighed, Lance saw him shaking his head in his peripheral vision. “I live off Pine Street on Avondale. It’s the apartment complex at the end of the road.”

Lance nodded and switched lanes again to turn into a parking lot and go back in the right direction of Keith’s place.

“And Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t dislike you either.”

 

* * *

 

Lance woke up on Keith’s last day at the café feeling a goopy, bittersweet sap weighing heavy and thick on his chest because he was dramatic and after two years a little worried that their workplace is what held up their communication and connection.

He can’t be blamed for that, Keith’s forgetful as hell and Lance can come off strong. He’s nothing if not self-aware.

It was going to be super weird not having Keith there to sneak his way to Lance’s phone and switch the playlist for his own or not having the comforting scent of espresso and Keith’s shampoo buzzing in his head.

The latter thing was a little creepy, but he couldn’t help it.

He had tried.

Didn’t work.

And it had been two years, and Keith was quitting because he finally got a graphic design job that would put his degree to use. He’d be making a lot better money there than a minimum wage food industry gig, so Lance should be happy for him.

“I can _hear_ you overthinking.”

Lance scrubbed a hand through his hair and scoffed. “Well, excuse me, your majesty. Forgive me for interrupting your beauty sleep, but it’s like the end of an era. This is where we find out whether we got along just because we had the same work environment and hung out as much as we did because we got scheduled together so often.”

Keith turned over, hooking his chin over Lance’s shoulder and turning his face in to brush his nose along Lance’s neck. “The café was the start, we’ve got everywhere else to go now.”

Lance groaned and turned over in bed, dragging Keith to him in an armful of blankets. He pressed his mouth to the hollow of Keith’s throat, trying valiantly to fight and hide a smile. “Don’t get romantic on me at 7 a.m., you know how I get.”

Keith smoothed his hand over the worn cotton of Lance’s t-shirt, ducking his face into Lance’s bedhead. “Is a new era okay?”

He pulled back and studied Keith, he brushed his long bangs away from his face. Lance kissed Keith then, a quick, innocent thing turned something longer and indulging as Keith moved for a better angle and Lance swiped his tongue over the seam of Keith’s lips. Hands wound tighter and legs tangled further, the soft whisper of sheets breaking the quiet of the morning as they shifted as close as they could be.

Anything together would be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I work in a place that has a café and I am ~~barely~~ café trained. I’m v good at making bean water and nothing else - well, except ice water. also, I realize there might be conflicting thoughts on the service dog thing, but this was based on something that happened in the cafe where I work and I'm aware that it's probably not considered the right etiquette. so disclaimer to always be respectful of animals on the job and listen to what the owner needs and is comfortable with.
> 
> klancetober didn’t go...great or anywhere for me after like prompt 3 or 4. but I’m nothing if not foolishly...yeah, that’s it. I’m a fool. a fool that refuses to learn a lesson so here’s klance au month that literally no one requested but my other stories going nowhere so here we are lol


	5. there next to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a galtean au collecting dust in my drafts long before klance au week and s8, I wound up deciding that I probably wasn't going to post it. Then I saw lanceville on tumblr talking about how there wasn't a lot of Lance shapeshifting to be taller than Keith to tease him. And I was like okay, guess this is my cue, plucked the shapeshifting bit out, and here we are.
> 
> rating: t

Lance focused on Keith first, smoothing his bangs to the side before gently lifting the circlet from his head. A lump formed in his throat, not totally unwelcome, as he watched Lance hold the item with a reverence that still took Keith’s breath away. Lance wore his own tonight too, a matched set for their wedding day. A gift from Coran, an older Altean tradition. Keith loved them.

He wasn’t one for a lot of accessories in his formal attire - a bracelet Lance had given him when they had been together for seven phoebs, his engagement necklace from Lance, and their wedding ring on his finger had almost felt too much for him. Never mind he was always afraid he was going to lose all of them at a party or damage them if another Galra fleet happened to blink onto the horizon to investigate a fighter ship dropping off their radar. But the circlet had been easy to don, so lightweight he usually forgot he was wearing it. They wore them as a proclamation, a comfort in a sea of unfamiliar faces pressing close to meet them. Reminder to the worlds that they weren’t a rumor or legend. Keith reached up, his fingers smoothing through Lance’s hair before moving for the circlet.

“Can you even reach?”

Keith scoffed as he carefully lifted the circlet up, careful not to pull Lance’s hair. “You’re _barely_ taller than me.”

“Enough that it matters.”

“To _you_.”

“You got it. Because–,” Lance stepped closer to Keith, smiling. He pressed his mouth against Keith’s forehead. “I’ve got prime real estate, babe.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’ll let you have it if only because I got my turn to be _cooler, taller, and grizzled.”_

Lance held his hand out for his circlet in Keith’s hand to tuck them away into the portable locked safe in Lance’s sack. “I’m a more mature man than I was back then.”

“Oh really?” Keith followed Lance to their things, undoing the necklace around his neck. He wound the chain carefully, laying the pendant in Lance’s open palm.

Lance shrugged. “Yeah, I’m big enough to admit it and, y’know what?”

Keith reached over Lance’s shoulder for the clasp to his earring. _His_ engagement gift to Lance. An Altean style (Keith had no idea where he was born, so there wasn’t a culture style to honor) like Allura’s. The gems glowed in the low light of their room, the sliver of the moons peeking in through the curtains catching in the prisms. “What?”

Lance’s eyebrows raised clear up to his hairline. “Because Galra puberty is a beautiful thing and it hit me like a wormhole jump.”

Keith bit the inside of his cheek as he set the earrings in the case with the rest of their jewelry, double checking that it was secure. He fought the heat rising to his cheeks and cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how _that_ saying goes either.”

“Oh, I know. I said _exactly_ what I meant.” Lance wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, drawing him in and up. And Keith was content, _so_ content as space stopped existing between them and he could rest his head the space between Lance’s neck and shoulder. 

Lance snickered in his ear as Keith’s feet left the floor.

“Lance, _oh my god._ Stop!” Keith wrapped his arms tighter around Lance’s neck. “This is not necessary literally every time.” He swallowed thickly as his chest slid down against Lance’s. Their clothes, pressed and pristine for the Vollan alliance ceremony rucked as Keith’s shirt was untucked. Lance’s vest wrinkled and bunched. The second his boots hit the floor again, Keith pushed away to point his finger up at Lance. “Eventually you’re going to overdo it and you’re going to get stuck like that, _stupid_. Chameleon. _Species_. And I’m not going to feel sorry for you.”

Lance scoffed and dove back to Keith, tucking his chin over Keith’s head. “You’re looking at this in a very negative light. There’s been an egregious oversight.”

Keith pulled away from him to straighten Lance’s vest so he could start unbuttoning it. “And what is that?”

“Flexibility, _cariño_.”

His fingers fumbled over a button almost popping it clean off of Lance’s vest as the words registered and Lance crowed with laughter when Keith could only swear under his breath and yank him closer to get the rest of the buttons undone. Keith bit the side of his cheek as Lance shrank back down to his normal height, a long breath leaving him as he focused on the shift. He stayed quiet as Keith finished the buttons and moved to push Lance’s outer jacket from his shoulders, losing himself into the familiar motions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the day, I'm a simple person with simple tastes that are Lance McClain's shoulders and height.


	6. there will be history (we Knew)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they were roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> klance au month day 5: roommates  
> rating is strong t for some spice towards the end, it's not too descript.

The paint around the doorknob was a little chipped and smudged.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll have this place shining like the top of the Chrysler building in no time." Lance winked at Keith as he slid their key, the new apartment key to their new apartment to the new part of their lives - the one Lance is making a big deal into like this doesn't happen every day, like somewhere on the planet there isn't another set of roommates casually flipping the lock and walking in instead of admiring the walkup and making a spectacle of himself outside the door.  
  
Keith doesn't care about the door or the walkup or the parking lot with their assigned parking spaces, but played along all the same.  
  
And maybe a little of Lance's energy is spreading to him as Lance finally unlocks the door and sweeps it open to a yawning space void of furniture and gleaming wood floors.  
  
Lance toed off his sneakers at the entryway and looked around the room as Keith did the same. "Management said they'd be around sometime this week to repaint the door or something."  
  
"You know it doesn't bother me right? It's just a door. Clean water, no bugs, and good appliances are more my speed."  
  
_"Just a door,_ Keith? That door is going to be our first impression as renters. The first thing people are going to notice when we invite them over - the foundation of our new lives together."  
  
Keith rolled his eyes and pressed his hand between Lance's shoulder blades. "Which we're never gonna start if you never move past the front door."  
  
Lance tilted his head, casually leaning back into the warmth of Keith's palm as he studied the room. "We still have to pick out who gets what rooms, I guess we should- _Race ya!"_ He bolted from the spot, snickering as he took off across the living room and made for the hallway.  
  
There had been plenty of other races, lots of bruised knees and bumped elbows, it was a chain reaction - an involuntary reaction born from the adolescent years they spent at each other's necks. Naturally, Keith was hot on his trail in the next breath, lunging for Lance's back and gripping his t-shirt and cackling as Lance squirmed out of the hold as he slid across the slick floor in his socks, in total control of his weight and movement after an entire life on a beach miles and miles away. Lance whooped as he dodged Keith again, but slid too fast, bringing them both down when Keith had reached out to keep him standing.  
  
They fell to the floor with a grunt and tangle of limbs, they shushed each other and looked down at the floor underneath them with bated breath, ready for their downstairs neighbors to shout for them to knock it off.  
  
When nothing came, Lance laid his head back and relaxed into the floor. "I'm pretty sure this is what Hunk was talking about the other night."  
  
_Hunk lifted his fork to point in Lance's direction, a too-knowing eyebrow raised at him. "Let it be known I have a bad feeling about this."_  
  
Keith chuckled into the worn material of Lance's t-shirt. "I'd hate to let him down."  
  
"Me too." Lance sat up in the floor, Keith still sprawled halfway over his legs.  
  
“I think the concerns weren't necessarily ill-founded.” Keith sat up and moved off of Lance. He stretched his arms over his head until his back popped satisfyingly.  
  
Lance gasped, pressing a hand to his chest he sat up straighter. “Excuse you. We’re supposed to be a power couple. How are we going to keep up our rep if we can’t stand on a united front?”  
  
Keith rolled his eyes as he pushed himself up to his feet and held out a hand for Lance to take. “Look, I didn’t say I think this is a bad idea or think we shouldn’t do it. I’m saying that Hunk’s concern that this could cumulate into bad energy and manifest into the old childish arguments we had if we don’t act like adults is plausible.”  
  
"Thank you, Raven from Teen Titans."  
  
Keith shoved his elbow into Lance's middle, fighting a smile as Lance tried to catch his elbow and the words _power couple_ circled nicely in his head.

* * *

The weeks that followed unpacking and arranging furniture and disagreeing in which cabinet the spices should go in passed in a blur - a sweaty, exhausted, productive, dizzying, stressful blur. Lance hung a small dry erase board on his bedroom door, squinting an eye and poking his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he focused to get it at just the right height and triple checked with a myriad of tools that it was straight.  
  
He stepped away from the door and studied his work as Keith leaned against the wall just behind him shaking his head disbelievingly.  
  
"A _ha!_ Perfect." Lance pumped his first in the air and turned to Keith. "We are officially moved in, dude. How's it feel?"  
  
Keith raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Like we were actually done twenty minutes ago before you declared we couldn't be moved in completely without the dry erase board up."  
  
Lance took off the snapback he was wearing and swatted it at Keith, fighting a toothy grin of his own. _"Ass."_  
  
He scrubbed a hand through his already messy hair, rucking it up even more as a cowlick Keith hadn't noticed before made itself present just a little up and over from his temple. It was easily the messiest Keith had ever seen it - Lance was notorious for keeping it meticulous, 1000% dedicated to a clean look. Lance put his hat back on and just under the brim, where the baby hairs above his ears were, his hair had startled to curl against his head.  
  
"Man, I'm starving, we should go get food."  
  
Keith shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. "Yeah, sure. D'you have anywhere specific in mind?"  
  
Lance clapped his hands together in front of them before pointing them at Keith. "Well first, I'm getting in the shower because I'm officially gross and then we can decide or whatever. All of the takeout menus and coupons are in the cabinet drawer by the fridge."  
  
"You mean you don't want to go to a public place looking like a sweaty frat?" Not that Keith has was about to admit the t-shirt with the arms cut out, stretched after so many washes it showed glimpses of Lance's lean torso if he stood just right, wasn't a bad look on him. Then, Keith pouted. "Also - I remember where things are."  
  
Lance smirked, crinkling his eyes. "So then there's no excuse for your hair looking like that."  
  
Keith touched the knotted strands of the short ponytail at the base of his neck before lunging for Lance, shoving him in the direction of the bathroom. _"Ass."_  
  
As Lance disappeared behind the door, Keith leaned back against the hallway wall and sighed. The scent of Lance's deodorant lingered in the hall and mixed with the fresh coat of paint on the front door and the scent of fabric softener from their sheets.  
  
This was good. Really good.  
  
_We just dance backwards into each other-_

* * *

  
Lance came home from an afternoon class in a rush of cool air and the crisp smell of the oncoming weather change - practically kicking his shoes halfway across the room as he dropped his bag with zero finesse and a touch of bitterness like it had personally wronged him. Keith rested his head against the back of the big armchair they had bought and cautiously looked his roommate over.  
  
"Should I ask or?"  
  
"No." Lance huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he came around the chair and plopped in the limited space beside Keith and landing more or less half on top of him.  
  
Keith grunted as Lance sunk into the chair and he scrambled to make room for the both of them. "You know we have a couch, right? It's a few steps to your right."  
  
Lance shimmied deeper into his spot, his chin meeting his chest as his t-shirt scrunched up around his middle. "Yes, I see it."  
  
_"Oooo_ kay." Keith had learned the finer points of Lance speak years ago and the clipped answers were just another side of that coin - someone had spoken over him, someone cut him off in traffic, someone questioned his intellect, someone questioned his volume or hand gestures as he spoke, too many thoughts had started to bubble over in his head, he missed his family, he missed Hunk....  
  
Keith had had plenty of time to see and learn and memorize each turn and the many dimensions of Lance McClain, just like Lance had done for him. He unpaused the movie he was on, turned the volume up, and switched on the subtitles before getting comfortable again. The frown lines hanging around Lance's mouth softened and his shoulders eased away from his ears as Keith bumped his knee against Lance's intermittently. He knew enough that Lance wasn't ready to talk about it, knew enough not to press - learned the hard way that saying, _"You literally press everyone to unload their minds all of the time and don't stop pushing and pushing until the explode, so why is it different the other way around?"_ was the exact opposite of what needed to happen. He could just hope that the din of the movie and the birds singing outside and the occasional swish of their jeans brushing against each other was enough until Lance was ready.  
  
_Trying to keep our feelings secretly covered._

* * *

  
Classes and work quickly took over their days, the amount of time they saw each other growing smaller and smaller and smaller as their hours changed. Lance came from the bathroom when Keith walked in, fresh out of the shower as the droplets from his hair still fell and splattered over his dark shoulders. One fell from his bangs, followed the line of his nose and down to his lip before he licked it away and smiled at Keith.  
  
"Hey, I think I've seen you before."  
  
Keith returned a tired smile of his own, trying his best to ignore the stressed lines at the corner of Lance's eyes. "Maybe, unless they changed the locks and my key opened the wrong door."  
  
Lance chuckled. "Cool, power bill's due on the 28th, my guy."  
  
Keith smiled. "Yeah, okay."  
  
Lance hitched a thumb over his shoulder to his bedroom door. "I've gotta finish getting ready for work, but make yourself at home. And Keith?"  
  
He glanced up from pulling books and his laptop out of his backpack to meet Lance's gaze.  
  
"There's stir fry in the fridge."  
  
"Thanks." Keith smiled, but didn't feel it quite meet his eyes.  
  
After Lance left, Keith drew a sketch of Lance at work on his dry erase board with the hoard of markers he had in a drawer in the kitchen for him to see when he got home.

* * *

   
They couldn't say for sure where the pad of sticky notes came from or what day exactly they started posting them on doors or the fridge or food in the fridge or any place they could think. The reason for why they started using them was never lost - Lance didn't want to erase Keith's original drawing on his dry erase board or the doodles that followed after or the game of tic-tac-toe they played on the only open space in a cramped corner of the board.  
  
Any of the ones Lance left for Keith, he tucked away into the side table drawer by his bed.  
  
The ones he left for Lance disappeared as Lance seemed to have read them and a small part of Keith itched to know if he kept them. If they were tucked away by his bed or saved in a folder in his backpack or even if Keith was special enough, if they were as close as Keith felt - if he thought he was deserving of it - they'd be in the upmost coveted spot in Lance's life.  
  
Inside the worn, wood keepsake box his grandfather had made for him, hand-carved with a detailed scene of Varadero on the lid.  
  
Among the movie and plane tickets, the fair and museum passes, the bracelet Hunk made for him but became too worn and delicate to wear after Lance refused to take it off for two years straight, the picture of his entire family, letters his mother had sent him, and small scraps of paper with drawings from Sylvio and Nadia.  
  
-  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_Is it weird I'd thought we'd hang out more?_  
_If it's weird, forget I said anything_  
  
To The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
From Keef👽  
_I don't think it's weird._  
_It's been a little different than I thought_  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_Okay cool_  
_cool_  
_glad it's not weird._  
  
To The Best Roommate Ever 🐳  
From Keef👽  
_do you_  
_do you miss me?_  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_uhm_  
  
To The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
From Keef👽  
_wait no_  
_you don't have to answer that_  
_shit_  
i'm _making it weird_  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_you're not making it weird_  
  
To The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
From Keef👽  
_you don't have to just say that to make me feel better_  
  
To Keef👽  
_From The Best Roommate Ever🐳_  
idk _what to say to convince you_  
_but it's not weird, swear it_  
_and_ keith _?_  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_I do, by the way_  
_just so you know_  
_drive safe on your way home tonight_

-  
  
Keith came back to the apartment later than he planned; see: wanted. He and half the class was ready to throttle the one know-it-all that kept backhandedly questioningly the teacher through every projection slide and regurgitating the wealth of shit information stored in their thick head to support their counterpoint. God.  
  
How hard was it to understand the concept that late classes just needed to be simply attended? You showed up, took notes, answered some questions, maybe made a few of your own, but it was a mutual understanding that by the time the late class started, everyone - including the professor - just wanted to wrap up the day and finally sleep.  
  
His brain felt like it had been scraped against a cheese grater.  
  
He probably had noticeable bite marks on the inside of his cheeks and the side of his tongue to cap the tortured scream that was begging to be heard the entire lecture.  
  
Keith tossed his book bag on the couch and yanked off his shoes, tossing them into the corner with more force than was strictly necessary, but he needed to spend the energy if he had any hope of laying down and relaxing long enough to fall asleep and stay asleep. He scrubbed his hands over his face as he headed for the hallway.  
  
"Hey, you're back late."  
  
He startled, jumped a little and let out a strangled yelp of surprise when he saw Lance laying in his bed, the low light from his laptop bathing his face in a milky glow. "Geez. Fuck. _Don't do that."_  
  
Lance laughed softly. "Sorry, didn't mean to spook you right out of your boots."  
  
Keith folded his arms and leaned against the doorway to Lance's room. "Did I wake you up? Or like, if you were worried, you didn't have to wait up."  
  
"Nah, I have tomorrow off. I won't have my first lecture until noon, so I figured now was my opportunity to stay up late and catch up on Netflix."  
  
"Nice."  
  
Lance sat up in bed, the duvet falling away from him to reveal the threadbare t-shirt he bought at the beach back home years ago. The shark on the front was hardly recognizable with all of the cracks splitting the design. It hung loose around his neck, but tight around his biceps - the other mark of time besides the faded letters of a boy that was once all elbows and knees.  "Do you wanna come join me?"  
  
"Uh, in there?"  
  
"Well, yeah. But if you don't want to, you don't have to. Just figured we could kind of hang for a bit."  
  
Keith bit his bottom lip, knowing what his answer was the second Lance asked. "Yeah, okay."  
  
He changed into his pajamas and slid under the blankets when Lance held them up and patted the mattress. The shift of his weight brought Lance closer, but he didn't move once Keith was settled, instead Lance shimmied farther under the covers and propped his head on the pillows strategically placed behind him.  
  
Keith felt his body want to fall out immediately, but he fought and fought hard.  
  
Held as tight as he could to the people on the computer screen, the soft material of Lance's sheets settling over his bare legs where his athletic shorts ended, to the mix of laundry detergent and facial products and deodorant and cologne and shampoo. Locked on to the sound of Lance's soft laughter and waited and waited and waited for him to ask Keith, "One more episode?"  
  
_Every second with you, I want another._  
  
-  
  
And that was the start of something.  
  
Another nail in both of their coffins.  
  
When Lance woke up, his laptop was still safely in the middle of the bed by their legs and-  
  
_Their._  
  
_They_ had fallen asleep. Keith was curled in the blankets with his head facing Lance and tucked forwards, like he was subconsciously trying to lay closer. Lance could feel the puff of even breaths against his temple as something wiggled at his middle. The week had left him drained and a little starved for social interaction beyond lab partners, professors, his boss, and the aptly-timed college _I'm dying_ text to their group chat with Pidge and Hunk. Even if they didn't talk.  
  
Even if he noticed Keith had fallen asleep ten minutes into the second episode.  
  
It recharged him a bit and he felt a lot better than he did.  
  
He got up carefully, so, so quietly because god was Keith jumpy. Not to mention he deserved as much sleep as he could get and maybe Lance liked how soft he looked in his bed. They became roommates because they were best friends. He was allowed to gush over them and make sure they were taking care of themselves and spoil them with a little TLC if they weren't doing it themselves.  
  
Lance set his laptop down on the small desk in his room and moved to his chest of drawers to change his shirt. He started to reach behind his back to pull it over his head when he heard a soft grunt and the mattress sighing under a change in weight. When he turned Keith was still laying down, trying desperately to get his eyes to focus and stay open long enough to sort out whatever was turning over in his head. He groaned, rubbing a hand tangled over in sheets across his face and forced himself up. His eyes finally landed on him as Lance laughed and pulled his shirt over his head.  
  
"Good morning." Lance gave him an amused once over before turning back to his drawer to pull out another shirt.  
  
"I didn't mean to fall asleep."  
  
When Lance found his plain blue t-shirt, he quickly yanked it over his head and turned back to Keith. "Dude, it's fine. Hunk and I had unplanned slumber parties like that all of the time. It was chill. Unless...you didn't want that kind of thing? In which, I'm sorry for not waking you up. I passed out not longer after you did, but I'll make sure to wake you back up in the future. Promise."  
  
Keith dragged his fingertips through his hair, stubbornly trying to work out the knots before giving up and gathering it into an even messier bun. "No, it's not that. Sleeping in here was fine. I just didn't mean to overstay."  
  
Lance flopped back on the bed and playfully slapped Keith's knee. "Dude, it's okay. You didn't overstay anything, it was nice."  
  
"Oh..kay?"  
  
And that was that - just like the doodle on Lance's dry erase board and the sticky notes, that became a thing they did too.  
  
After a particularly rough shift, Lance had face planted into his bed while Keith was still mindlessly scrolling through his phone, and sort of yell/squawked into the sheets. Keith checked his foot against Lance's shoulders and told him to go change, then come back.  
  
The next morning, their legs were a little tangled, though they were still on their respective sides of the bed.  
  
The two times after that were in Lance's bed.  
  
Lance's bed seemed to be a more reoccurring thing and not something Keith was immediately ready to unpack.  
  
The sixth time was during midterms, Lance had cried in frustration into Keith's shoulder and, in a panic, Keith called Hunk as the damp sleeve of his t-shirt stuck to his shoulder.  
  
In half an hour tops, Hunk was at their door with edible cookie dough and Pidge.  
  
As Hunk and PIdge finally left, the door shutting behind them, it was like some tension had snapped. Keith and Lance met each other's gazes and wordlessly fell into place under Lance's blankets and the glow-in-the-dark stars Hunk had bought on a whim while out for the cookie dough. They had all stood shakily on Lance's mattress to place them strategically on the ceiling.  
  
That morning, Keith's alarm caught them completely pressed together. It took them two minutes to figure out which arm was Keith's and how to free it so he could silence the damn alarm. Neither of them commented on waking to the soft press of Lance's mouth against Keith's eyebrow.  
  
Nor the sneaky, traitorous hand of Keith's that had slid under the hem of Lance's shirt and laid flat and warm, and assuring against Lance's lower back.  
  
It was the line.  
  
The switch.  
  
The fall or the rise.  
  
It was terrifying and exhilarating.  
  
Their own world where they could just do things like sleeping in the same bed and grocery shopping for the other and Keith came and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth while Lance was in the shower before he needed to leave for work.  
  
If Hunk and Pidge had noticed that Lance had started being a lot more tactile with Keith, they were kind enough not to bring it up or call them out on it. While there had been some reservations on if Lance and Keith would withstand living in a small space, it had ultimately proved to what they had hoped it to be - a good opportunity to build their friendship.  
  
Not that there hadn't been arguments.  
  
Not that Keith hadn't loudly stomped to his own room and shut his door with a little more force than strictly necessary and pointedly didn't sleep in Lance's.  
  
Not that Lance had shut his own bedroom door on another, separate occasion.  
  
It was different. It had turned over to something more raw and defining and permanent.  
  
Something else was hanging in the air.  
  
Biting and taunting and _fucking irritating when you're trying to write a_ five page _essay._  
  
They always came back though.  
  
Door opened.  
  
Feet shuffled quietly.  
  
Lance admitted Keith had been right about the bad energy thing, but Keith reminded him it didn't mean shit if Keith himself didn't know how to keep it from happening or what better habits to put into place. It was a learning process for both of them.  
  
_I wish that the time would line up-_

* * *

   
As time wore on, they saw less and less of each other, it was all filed down to Keith catching sight of Lance's hair from the lamplight outside or Lance glancing under the covers to readjust the awkward angle Keith laid on his arm. Lance was a physically affection guy, he thrived on all this, but it was a little overwhelming for Keith.  
  
It was rare that they fell into one of the other's beds at the same time; rare that they even woke up at any point to see that the other was there.  
  
The times Lance was there and present and conscious to catch the learning curve Keith was desperately trying to hang onto, he whispered and moved slow. Readjusted their positions or moved a little to give Keith more space. Patient and damn near heart devastatingly understanding as he turned Keith away from him and laid just close enough to rest his hand between Keith's shoulder blades.  
  
"Do you want me to stay still or rub your back a little?"  
  
"Is this okay?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Do you need me to do anything in particular?"  
  
That soft voice easing Keith's nerves was an addicting balm that became increasingly frustrating as it happened few and far between. Work and cram sessions for finals and suddenly, they hadn't seen each other in 48 hours. Their contact had culminated to a whopping two texts that were _'you alive?'_ and _'define alive'_ before Keith knew Lance turned on the app lock on his phone to stave off his distractions.  
  
Not counting the group chat where they all did a super depressing round of roll call.  
  
So stress.  
  
Stress for days.  
  
Stress, stress, stress, stressstress _stress_.  
  
If Keith had to look at another textbook or word document for one more minute, he was going to accept Pidge and Matt's illegal and considerate offer of short-term crashing the campus' email system and the professor's grading log book. He would supply the food and their energy drinks and coffee with the gusto of someone that had more than $50 in their bank account. Shiro's disappointed dad look be damned, he needed sleep.  
  
Self-doubt still clawed at his shoulders anytime he thought about crashing into Lance's bed before he was home or crashing into Lance's bed after he was already asleep and risked waking Lance up. Those nights, Keith either dropped into his bed with the door wide open for Lance or Lance woke up to blearily walk Keith through some semblance of a watered down self-care routine before guiding Keith back to Lance's room with plenty of opportunity to pull away.  
  
The upside about the level of exhaustion he was steamrolled in? None of that was present.  
  
Keith was in his bedroom long enough to shuck off his jeans, change into a t-shirt he was pretty sure was Lance's, and remember to brush through his hair before pulling it back loosely so it wouldn't get as tangled during the night. He didn't bother turning on the light in Lance's room, he could navigate it by muscle memory. Not soon enough, he was yanking the blankets over his head and immersing himself in the comforting scent that was a mix of their scents, of home, and letting sleep drag him down into a dreamless, weightless sleep.  
  
Vaguely, Keith registered the lock turning in the door, the muffled shuffling, the bathroom door closing then opening again, and a hand nudging his shoulder.  
  
"Keith, hey dude. You're on my side. I've got like no room."  
  
"C'mon Keef, the faster you move the faster we can cuddle."  
  
Lance fell into bed much the same way Keith did - a little bit defeated, a little bit deliriously giddy over getting to lay down. He doesn't move Keith far, it was less room than Lance normally got. Every time they did this, Keith was careful not to push, not to take more space than he needed, not that Lance seemed to care.  
  
If anything, Lance invited him to meet in the middle.  
  
Again, more to unpack and consider once Keith wasn't _this_ close to bursting into tears in the middle of the lecture hall or library or his car or Shiro's driveway.  
  
Lance's head had barely hit the pillow before tired, agitated, searching fingers ghosted over his arm and side. There was a familiar whisper song of sheets and Lance's soft laughter, a satisfied hum as everything shifted into place, and sleep took them both over without a fight.

-  
  
In the blink of an eye, Keith was aware of two things: his breathing was stifled a bit and all he could smell was Lance's cologne. It took over his senses in confusing, cresting waves as he fought for consciousness. It felt more like booting up an old desktop, lots of whirring and loading bars that increased and decreased and increased again before the next start-up function began. His body felt like it weighed a ton as he tried to move his arms and legs. And he could forget raising his head for the foreseeable future.    
  
When Keith turned his head, huffing a long breath out of his nose, the world shook and breathy laughter tickled the top of his head. Keith opened one eye to get a look at nothing but uninterrupted raises and dips of soft, soft dark skin everywhere he looked. Then, what could never be mistaken as anything but Lance's bony chin digging into his skull.  
  
"Mmph. Keith, C'mon. Tha tickles. 'm trying to sleep." Lance stretched underneath Keith, his legs unhooking from Keith's to extend back down the bed before coming back up to settle in an equally close but more comfortable position with Keith's. He let out a full-bodied groan that rumbled deep in his chest, finally giving Keith the push to raise up from where his face had been pressed into Lance's neck, right under his jaw.  
  
Another stretch had Keith hissing as he bit off a groan, a confused murmur pulling from Lance before their hips brushed and Lance's eyes flew open.  
  
Keith swore and bit his tongue as both he and Lance tried to put space between them, the seconds it took them to untangle the sheets and make that possible had Keith teetering on the edge of cardiac arrest. This wasn't happening.  
  
_This wasn't happening._  
  
Keith fought to pull himself out of bed and had almost made it when Lance managed to get a death grip on his arm and yank him back onto the bed.  
  
"Lance, this isn't- this is one of those not good things. We don't have to talk about it, in fact _forget it even happened._ I need to-"  
  
Lance's heartbeat was beating a thousand miles a minute as he caught Keith's face between his hands. "Hey. Hey, listen to me. Listen just for a second." He locked onto Keith's eyes, thumb brushing over his temple where he carefully held him. "It's okay. Dude, it's biology. It happens. I'm not offended or grossed out or mad."  
  
"Lance, _please_." Keith was burning up. Any moment now Lance's soft hands were going to get a contact burn just by touching his face.  
  
"It's perfectly natural."  
  
But Keith rolled off the bed and out of Lance's reach and almost broke his neck trying to untangle from the sheets and bolt for the door.  
  
Lance flinched when the sound of Keith's bedroom door slammed shut. He flopped backwards onto his pillow, resting one hand on his forehead as the other reached toward the ceiling. "It happens to me too."  
  
To Keef👽  
From The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
_I know you said you don't want to talk about it_  
_but_  
_if you need space, I get it_  
_but also, my door is still def open_  
_if you want_  
_no pressure_  
  
To The Best Roommate Ever🐳  
From Keef👽  
_okay_

* * *

   
It took two weeks of Lance laying out a proverbial bread crumb trail into his room before they settled back into the new normal.  
  
It was a long, long, restless two weeks if anyone asked either of them.  
  
The grain of rice that tipped the scale - or whatever old proverb they used to polish off an essay - was Lance coming home a little tipsy post after-work drinks. Not that he threw himself at Keith, the exact opposite, he waited outside Keith's door and tapped against the frame until he got Keith to answer, and talked at the door for god knows how long before Keith put Lance out of his misery and opened the door.  
  
The bags under Keith's eyes appeared a little darker and his hair looked like he had been tossing and turning on maybe a porcupine instead of a pillow.  
  
"I don't want your dick to get between us- _wait_ , that's not what I wanted to say. There was another joke that was supposed to be better, make you feel better. Fuck, I really can't remember it." Lance heaved a sigh and dropped his head down onto Keith's shoulder. "Sorry, I need sleep."  
  
They didn't sleep in the same room that night, but Keith did return the goodnight snaps and answer any random rambling snaps with a picture of the street light coming through the blinds and cutting shadows against Lance's lamp shade.  
  
_So we could just give in._  
  
-  
  
What neither of them expected was the leap, derailment, new course, dive, trip of Keith tumbling into Lance's lap with his legs crossed behind Lance's back, arching in Lance's hold when he pressed the flat of his palm against the small of Keith's back, underneath his t-shirt.  
  
Lance's legs were crossed underneath Keith where they sat in the middle of Lance's bed, he shifted to give Keith more space between them. He waited until Keith peeked one of his eyes open to speak. "Are you sure this is okay? You're really sensitive. It's getting kind of hard to tell from okay jumpy to _not okay_ jumpy."  
  
Keith loosened the death grip he had on Lance's neck to look up at him, to get Lance to see the burning decisiveness in his eyes. "I'd let you know if it wasn't."  
  
It was decisively _not that_ , not what Lance's head _oh so_ helpfully supplied, but fuck if his heart didn't rocket into his throat at the idea anyways. At the weight and meaning. At Keith laying his head back on his shoulder as Lance's hand slid a little farther up Keith's shirt and the other rubbed comfortingly over Keith's knee. The entire time, as Keith gradually relaxed in his arms with a relieved sigh, Lance couldn't help but let an old conversation they had two weeks after moving in (a week after hanging the dry erase board depending on whose calendar they went by) circle around in his head.  
  
_"So like, awkward conversation starter but - if you ever bring anyone home or anything, I'm cool with it. Just give me a heads up in a text beforehand so I can not ruin the mood and crash with Hunk or something."_  
  
_"Okay.....?"_  
  
_"Oh, don't do the sock on the doorknob thing, those are expensive and if someone stole it, its match would also lose a_ sole _mate and that's_ despressing _."_  
  
_"Lance, are you...Did you want to bring someone back here?"_  
  
_"No_.... _Keith_ don't _look at me like that. Not right now, geez."_  
  
_"Are you asking for my permission? Because you don't need it. Just do what you said and send me a message and it'll be fine."_  
  
Traitorous part of Lance quipped that neither of them actually had.  
  
"So, has enough time passed for me to say I am living for this cuddlefest or not?"  
  
Keith groaned into his shoulder, the promise of a smile branding through Lance's shirt to his skin, and lightly pinched Lance's side. "Don't ruin it, Lance."  
  
_But maybe we could hold off for one sec-_  
 

* * *

   
Neither of them ever brought someone back to the apartment.  
  
_So we could keep this tension in check._

 

* * *

 

  
Maybe long before they did this apartment thing - maybe even from the moment they actually met - there had been an orbit they each had. It clashed and locked and shoved until it stuck and yanked. And maybe they knew all along theirs would mesh and tangle and hang onto, both of their ends pulling and pulling and pulling until all of the physics and forces and unexplained phenomena evened out and they could get to where they were.  
  
Keith's arms locked around Lance's neck and his legs braced against the sides of Lance's slim hips that rolled forward _forward forward_ and Lance's hand found the small of Keith's back, holding Keith as close as he could - like there was still an ounce of space to be rid of. Lance's mouth rarely left his face, his mouth tenderly trailed from his forehead to his hairline, down to his temple, over his eyebrow, and _finally_ back to Keith's mouth. It was too soft.  
  
Too soft and they were going to burst at the seams and then-  
  
_You touch me and it’s almost like we knew that there will be history._

* * *

 

Lance rocked back on his heels, then bounced up on his toes when Keith smiled. It dulled to something self-conscious and urged Keith to press a chaste kiss to Lance's mouth.  
  
"Don't be nervous."  
  
The breath Lance had been holding left him in a _whoosh_ as words spilled over his tongue. "It's cool if you think it's moving too fast, but we sort of stopped doing the thing where we take turns sleeping in each other's bed and Shiro was gracious enough to help us get that bigger dresser to fit in my room - our room - so, I was thinking we could. Do something? With the extra room?" Lance threw up his hands. "Not that we would be getting rid of your bed or completely moving all of your things. It's just, I had the bigger room so it would only make sense that we would leave the smaller as a guest bedroom."  
  
Keith reached forward to meet Lance's hand with one of his own and laced their fingers together, bringing their joined hands back to himself, he pressed his mouth gently to Lance's knuckles. A little of the tension around Lance's mouth slipped away as his eyes softened. "We're not rushing, I like the idea of a guest room. In all honesty, I had thought about getting rid of my bed and maybe moving your desk in their with mine and we could have a little office space."  
  
"That would be a good option too, but maybe down the road? I just want you to have that chance of going back to your own space when you need or want it."  
  
"You're so good." Keith stepped forward to wrap his arms around Lance's middle and tucked his chin over his shoulder as he waited for Lance to wrap his arms around him in turn. "What else were you thinking?"  
  
"You're too fucking soft, I can't think straight." Lance blew out a breath over Keith's hair, the smaller pieces ruffling with the movement, and buried his nose into the top of Keith's head.  
  
"Hm, you got this. I believe in you."  
  
Lance squawked and let go of Keith with one hand to place it over Keith's mouth. "Kogane, _please_. You are killing me."  
  
Keith's eyes twinkled with mirth as Lance took a deep breath and straightened up, clearing his throat, he tried again. "Maybe we could put another use to the room? I've really wanted to get a cat and get one of those big cat castle carpet maze things that they can walk and hide and play on or try to do one of those at home ones with different perches and mounts and toys on the wall that people make on youtube."  
  
Tentatively, Lance lifted his hand from Keith's mouth only to be on the receiving end of a megawatt smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and one that Lance could have never prepared for. He felt the tips of his ears, entire face, and neck go warm with the open attention and ducked his face into the crook of Keith's neck and groaned. Keith laughed and rubbed circles up and down Lance's back.  
  
"I would love to do that with you."

* * *

_You touch me and it’s almost like we knew that there will be history._

_There’s no way that it’s not going there with the way that we’re looking at each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: I'm not going to go overboard on this  
> also me: in this 18 page essay I will-
> 
> I won't fill all of the klance au prompts, so don't be alarmed if you see the number on the days jump around.  
> catch me on [ tumblr](http://plaxhums.tumblr.com)
> 
> You guys have been pretty quiet so far, let me know what you think!


	7. time uploading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The email has to be permanently burned into his cornea by now.
> 
> The confirmation email is a chant in Lance’s head because yes, this was happening, this is such a great idea.
> 
> The final email, one lengthy PDF file with the rules and regulations, itinerary, venue location, and directions, and the list of confirmed local content creators is a brand on his heart. He could recite it in his sleep by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> klance au month day 10: youtubers  
> rating: t
> 
> We're going to pretend in this universe you can lip sync to songs and you won't be copyrighted.

Lance sets his camera gently down on his desk and opens his laptop to begin downloading the video he shot and starts to methodically pick through his brain what bits he needed to edit. There wouldn't be much, just a ten minute new introduction video for his channel and a separate announcement video.  
  
He pulls up the announcement video first and really gets the unfiltered view of the ridiculously big, toothy grin he hasn't been able to fight down for two weeks.  
  
Let it be known that Lance McClain can keep a secret. He has playground intel that's locked in his brain and never once left his lips in the 15 or so years since that day. He grew up with four siblings, they had dirt on each other that spanned their entire lives and they no one ever told their mamá because it meant all of them would take the heat for covering for each other. And they were all grown and living on their own - Luís had a mortgage, a brilliant wife, and two amazing kids even - but that wouldn't stop their mother for one moment.  
  
So as each email cycled through his inbox, repeating discretion, he knew he had that game on lock.  
  
Charity groups and sponsors wanted it to be a secret? No questions asked since they made it abundantly clear that anyone in violation of any of the terms and agreements would be uninvited, easiest decision Lance made in his entire life.  
  
Didn't mean he wasn't on the edge of his seat the entire time for the official announcement to come through over social media and news so he could make a response video.  
  
Lance sat down in his chair, replayed the video, and grabbed a pencil and paper to start marking editing notes.  
  
_"Hey guys, it's Lance here. Today's video is going to be a little short, but that doesn't mean it's short on big, exciting things! If you're an old friend here, you know how it goes and if you're new - Hey! I'm Lance. You're currently on my personal youtube channel where I do fun things and chat with you guys and upload a few instructional videos on positions and techniques. This channel came to be after the dance studio I attend started to upload choreography videos that I was featured in. The response was amazing. The link to that channel will be in the description box below if you're interested."_  
  
Lance bit his lip as excitement crawls back into his veins and has his foot bouncing in his lap.  
  
_"Other videos you'll find are more personal, chatty vlogs. Like, for example, back when it first dropped I uploaded a 'Draw My Life' and even did the twin tag with my sister, Rachel. I dance, I love_ music, _and do a little playing and writing here and there._  
  
_"Now, the reason I'm taking the time to address any new audience members is that my area dropped the greatest announcement ever - through some really great people and local business owners, I'm getting to take part in a charity event featuring local_ youtubers _, artists, writers, photographers, celebrities, etcetera. Of course, I have another link where you can go check out the finer details and the list of other people confirmed to be there. If you don't live in the area and want to be involved, the charity has a website where you can make a donation._  
  
_"Now for the sad part, my updating schedule will be a bit chaotic as everyone gets ready for this event to make sure it's the best we can make it. You guys have always been great, so I know you'll be cool with it. If you get a chance to attend, come find me and say hi! I'd love to meet you guys. Alright, I think I've rambled long enough. If you have any questions for me that aren't covered in this video or the links below, shoot it to me over Twitter and we can make sure that if someone else has the same question, they can see it get answered too. You guys have a great rest of your week and I'll see you in the next one. Bye."_  
  
Video Lance smiles, winks with his nose scrunching up, and gently passes his hand over the lens of the camera and the shot ends.  
  
It's easily the best video he's done in one take, especially given how hard it was to fight past his smile enough to speak slow and evenly enough not to be a garbled mess with a lot of hand gestures. His time on YouTube hasn't been turbulent by any means, in fact, it had been almost perfect. The experiences he's had are memorable and wonderful and cherished and he holds them in high regard as a facet in his life that helped him grow and become a better person. But this moment - this dawning, fantastic opportunity rings as one of those moments he sits back in awe and thinks that this is why he's here. This is why he started this whole journey, to be around people and make them feel better and grow along with him and doing his best to make someone's day just a little bit better having watched one of his videos.

* * *

That was organized adult Lance, the more intimate and vastly uncooler Lance he is at this moment is shaking and stumbling over his words and spacing out like crazy because he can't bring himself to close out of the final email on his phone. This tasteful, stylized list of attendees staring back up at him and not changing. As far as he knew, no one had been uninvited or had to back out of the event. So in Lance McClain's very near future he is going to meet (because it's gonna happen - it's _gotta_ happen) Keith, a YouTube vlogger that Lance has watched for two years and never knew for one second was even in the same time zone, let alone state.  
  
It's a little embarrassing, realizing he may have been to the same athletic center Keith films at multiple times....he was just usually in the pools doing laps.  
  
His one defense was that in the years Keith had been on YouTube, he didn't dish out a lot of personal information - never did one of those Q&A things or a draw my life (Keith did recognize that it was a thing his followers requested and politely declined the idea as something he'd not be comfortable in doing, it was also mentioned that he was a terrible artist). There were just small and brief nuggets of info sprinkled in through his videos.  
  
He and Shiro, the guy with Keith in several of his videos, are brothers and they didn't look alike because Keith was adopted - there were so many that were asking if they were friends or coworkers or even dating and while Shiro was amused by it all, Keith was not.  
  
He has a huge dog named Kosmo that's gotta be 90% hair. Kosmo was introduced to the internet during a video Keith was filming, he got his way into the room Keith filmed in and knocked over the camera. Keith managed to end the video and save what he had to his SD card, he mentions later on. It's easily one of Lance's favorite videos of Keith's because it's hilarious and ridiculously adorable. Keith's video for that week was what he had managed to film, cut off right after the camera hit the ground and Kosmo fled the scene of the crime and ends with him filming from his phone as he steps away from Kosmo laying on a massive dog bed with the sad eyes and the most pathetic whine Lance has ever heard from a dog that size. As Keith stepped back from Kosmo, the shot reveals a dog shaming sign in black, block letters secured with string around Kosmo's neck.  
  
_"See? This is what happens when you don't listen and break expensive things. The internet finds out were_ bad _dog. My camera is currently being recalibrated and looked over carefully for any other signs of damage, so this might be it for a couple weeks - sorry, guys."_  
  
He never named the gym he went to or the parks and trails he went on with Shiro, for safety reasons they didn't want anyone out there without the proper training, equipment, or certified guides, etc. Lance would bet it was mainly for privacy reasons, Shiro was super friendly and really open on camera, but Keith stayed kind of cryptic and vague.  
  
Keith is gay, this was discovered on accident after Pride week and Keith had on a bracelet from an event that someone pointed out wasn't something he usually wore. It was an interesting and entertaining Twitter feed to follow. Keith had been completely confused and actually tweeted back at the fan with a _'HOW DID YOU KNOW?????'_  
  
Keith has a pretty good sense of humor because when the person initially responded with a saucy, _"I have eyes.,"_ he sent them multiple shocked emojis. They quickly followed up with the bracelet fact. Keith tweeted them again with a picture of his hand at that moment with _'Totally forgot I still had it on. Good eye lol.'_  
  
So, a whopping three things he knew about Keith. It almost felt like too many things he should know, like collecting all of these pieces to the Keith puzzle might be a little on the invasive, hyper-focused side. If he deadass rolled up to this thing and didn't approach Keith like he was a normal human being, Lance could forget ever getting the chance to get to know Keith. Never mind the big dream of maybe one day doing a collab video if they hit it off.  
  
Being a private person and creating a script to follow on videos is another thing - what if he was actually a jerk? What if he just seemed good on camera? What if Lance came up to say hi and Keith instantly hated him?  
  
But there's no way he knows Lance, Keith's videos are vastly different from the ones Lance is in and the ones he makes himself.  
  
Lance takes home the Gold for overanalyzing.

He absolutely doesn't sprint across a fancy ballroom when he somehow gets the unbelievable luck of spotting Keith when he walks in.  
  
Having legs for days are handy for some things.  
  
Lance strategically makes his way around the room, pulls out his phone while glancing at it every now then like he's about to make a phone call once he hits the entry doors so no one stops him.  
  
By the time he gets to the doors and in the general direction of where Keith was headed, he's lost him.  
  
Unbelievable luck not so lucky.  
  
No big deal, it's just the opening ceremony and welcome, a repeat of the itinerary, and confirmation of plenty of security.  
  
Lance flips through a pamphlet, updates his Twitter feed every two minutes to see if Keith's posted anything, and finally catches another break when he sees Keith's name in the pamphlet and where he would be located during a chunk of the event. The organization seems to have split them into groups depending on their jobs, so it's not like Lance would be blowing off his responsibilities and going to the opposite side of the center they were in. He and Keith would be within shouting distance.  
  
And he's embarrassed to admit it, but he would stoop to shouting if that's what it took.  
  
Preparations happen in a rush, they're excused for the rest of the day to set up everything they need to, Lance goes back to his apartment to shower and pick out an outfit he knows he looks good in.  
  
He just wants to make a good impression, okay.  
  
Maybe goes a little extra in putting gel in his hair to make it swoop and fall in that one way, double checking that the ends of his hair look as soft as possible, and finishing it off with a dash of cologne.  
  
Confidence is a little his thing, he's worked hard to achieve it, so he's free to admit he's satisfied with the end result.  
  
Lance opens his snapchat, flips through the filters before closing out of the selection that week, and starts recording.  
  
"Hey guys, the charity event will be starting soon. Come say hi and meet a bunch of really great people gathered for a good cause. If you come check it out, there's a small entry fee that will all be going to the charity featured tonight. I do believe it's whatever you want to give, if you don't have a lot of money, it's no big. We want to make this thing as inclusive as possible. When you get there, you'll be given a small welcome pamphlet with directions and info on where you can find me. I hope to see you there!"  
  
He settled on the first sliding filter that makes everything crisp and bright and if anyone asked Lance, he looked very handsome and likable.  
  
At this point, Lance is free enough in his self-awareness to admit he's going to end up making this weird, but that's okay. It'll be okay. He promises Rachel he won't have to be escorted out by security.  
  
-  
  
Keith....is actually....at a table with him.  
  
A long one with a flowy white table cloth.  
  
_Thank you, the universe._  
  
His life story is probably ghost written by a Golden Retriever, so he dives right into offering his hand out to Keith with a crazy amount of enthusiasm and he immediately learns three new things about Keith.  
  
Lance is just enough taller than Keith that it's immensely satisfying.  
  
He has callouses on his hands, but they're kind of doing it for Lance with how warm they are. His handshake isn't anything to sneeze at either.  
  
The boy's smile is dazzling with the way it slowly forms and lifts his cheeks and crinkles his eyes. Absolutely devastating, Lance is starstruck. _Fuck._  
  
"Hey, I'm Lance. Look, I don't want to make this weird or anything, but I was excited to get the chance to meet you. I've been watching your videos for a few years and I really like them. It's incredibly good work."  
  
Keith's eyebrows raise up his forehead and Lance's heart gives a flutter as Keith's voice goes soft with awe. "You watch my videos? I watch _yours._ "  
  
A medic. Lance needs a medic.  
  
Cool, not creepy Lance has died and ascended to leave nothing but dorky Lance that wouldn't know chill if it hit him in the face is all too ready to step up to bat. "Y-you watch my videos?"  
  
"Yeah, man." Keith nods his head excitedly and Lance's heart stops momentarily as Keith leans in closer to him. "One of your dance studio's videos was on my suggestion list a few years ago and I kept up with it. You're a great dancer."  
  
Excuse Lance while he jazz squares out of the nearest window.  
  
Keith raises his hand to scratch bashfully at the back of his head. "I subscribed and - uh - caught up pretty quickly with the rest of the videos. Then, I saw your personal handle in the description box one time and went through your personal channel. Not to make it weird or anything, but I really like your crazy lip sync videos that you go all out for. I even went through your advice on technique and stretches to incorporate into my workouts to help strengthen a few weak spots."  
  
Lance is a little stuck on that last bit because a lot of his requested technique videos are on improving flexibility.  
  
_RIP, Lance._  
  
He gets it together enough to playfully hint at how amazed and disbelieving he is without it being overbearing. "Okay, wait, no. You follow me?"  
  
A little of Keith's excitement deflates and a shadow of hesitance dims the light in his eyes. "Yeah? On Twitter and Instagram too. If that's okay? Sorry, am I making this weird?"  
  
"What? No! No no no _nonono_ , it's great. I'm just- how did I miss it?" He scrubs his hands over his face and groans. "I watch all of your videos. The rock climbing ones with Shiro are so soothing and your background music is really chill. I watch them when I'm stressed. I've taken stuff from your work out posts to strengthen my core-"  
  
That tidbit is dropped with purpose.  
  
If Lance has to think about flexible Keith, he's gonna hint at the abs he worked hard for.  
  
He feels a little of his normal confidence creep back in when he sees a look he can't completely discern flit over Keith's face and definitely doesn't miss the super quick once over Keith gives to his middle. It's there and gone in a second - Lance would have missed it if he wasn't currently deliberately fishing for it. Checkmate.  
  
"Also, I may be in love with your big, dumb dog. No offense to your camera that took the hit for his chance to become internet famous."  
  
Keith snorts and rolls his eyes. "That big baby cried and howled for thirty minutes after I took the sign off and kept bringing me his toys as a way of apologizing."  
  
Lance folded his arms in front of him - yes, lean muscle on full display for Keith who is just as attractive in real life and apparently not a jerk and likes Lance's content - and leans back against the side of the table. "Honestly, I love him even more now."  
  
"It's the eyes." Keith shakes his head and looks away with a distant look in his eye and Lance knows that look. That's the look of a very smitten animal parent.  
  
"So, what breed is he? Bear and lion or something a little more common like a Direwolf?"  
  
Keith laughs. "He's a Newfoundland."  
  
"Were you in the market for one of the largest dog breeds in the world or?"  
  
"We found him at a shelter - he was behind in growth so we thought he was the runt of his litter and was placed there because the owner couldn't care for him like he needed. Shiro went with me to help pick a dog out, no one had any idea he was a full-bred Newfoundland. Here, look at this." Keith pulls his phone out of his pocket and swipes up on his lock screen and in seconds is showing Lance a picture of a tiny fuzzball curled up in what he assumes is Keith's lap. "The vet laughed so hard he cried when we brought him in for his shots and tags and told me what I had."  
  
He swipes to another picture of Kosmo as a puppy standing in a yard and Lance gasps. "Keith, _buddy_ , his paws are almost the size of your hands how did you not know you had a big dog?"  
  
Keith shrugs and pockets his phone. "Well it was too late by then, we had bonded and if anybody broke into my place Kosmo wouldn't even have to fight. Don't let the sad eyes fool you, you has a different side altogether when he's annoyed or feels threatened."  
  
Okay, cool, but Lance knows for a fact Keith kickboxes with Shiro. So like, Keith could definitely handle anyone.  
  
_Handle himself._  
  
Keith clears his throat and a little of that hesitancy is back as looks up at Lance through his lashes. "Okay, I have to say, I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I had no idea you were local until the charity event sent out those emails."  
  
"Don't feel too bad about it." Lance snorts. "I didn't either."  
  
"Yeah, but I keep a lot of details out of my videos. You're literally with a studio that I could have easily googled in two seconds."  
  
"Oh, if we're going to expose ourselves here, I totally win this round. The athletic center I think you and Shiro sometimes film at? I go there, twice a week."  
  
Keith's mouth drops open a little and he stands up straighter. "You're kidding! Why haven't I seen you then? I'm all over that place when I have clients."  
  
"I mostly keep to the pools. And clients?"  
  
"My main source of income is as a personal trainer. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but the Youtube thing has become an outlet I really enjoy. It sort of snuck up on me, I never thought of myself as someone that could create content and be at that end of the camera and people enjoy it? What do you do, if it's cool if I ask?"  
  
"Yeah, absolutely. Obviously there's the studio, I teach a few dance classes, but I also do some commission work for online people that want music for their videos - I've done everything from intro themes with wild lyrics to the instrumental stuff. Things that can't get copyrighted, but help sets a tone and brand for people's videos that are looking for something unique to them."  
  
Keith's eyes sparkle at that and Lance is gone. The Muses are having a grand time in his head.  
  
_Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling_  
_Face it like a grown-up_  
_When you gonna own up that you got got got it bad_  
  
"You compose music? What instruments do you play?"  
  
It's Lance's turn to scratch the back of his head as nerves fizzle and pop in his chest and head and only too late does he realize there is, in fact, gel in his hair. He had worked really hard to get it perfect too. Oh, well. "I, uh, I don't want to like showboat. Just- I can play guitar, piano, ukulele, and a little drums."  
  
"Well I asked, so it's not bragging. And you should be proud of it." Keith ducks his head to look around Lance and grins, nodding his head down the hallway for Lance to look. "They're starting to let people in. If we don't get to talk again, it was really nice meeting you. Hopefully, we can talk again?"  
  
"I'm opening Twitter right now and dming you." It's not something he means to say. Definitely a head thought, but it gets Keith to laugh again and that's a win in Lance's book.  
  
Also he wasn't shot down for direct messaging.  
  
Good to know.

Keith predicted the night pretty well, they both stayed busy doing the meet and greet and charity thing. They didn't get a chance to talk again, Lance had hoped for the chance at 'a see you later', but he's flopping down in his bed four hours later completely exhausted and high on endorphins when his phone lights up the darkness in his room. It bathes everything in a cool blue light that puts a freeze on Lance's heart.  
  
He knows what he wants it to be.  
  
Tries to reason with himself that it's probably tags from Instagram and Twitter from the pictures he took with people.  
  
Lance pushes himself up and reaches for his phone and everything stops because it's definitely a direct message notification on Twitter from a handle he's all too familiar with.  
  
_idk if it's too soon to message you, but I'm going to do it_  
_just don't screenshot it and send it to Shiro_  
i _had fun. I'm glad we finally got to meet_  
_and bond over our horrible detective skills_  
  
Lance bites his lip and thinks on sending something vaguely flirty - he definitely felt some kind of chemistry with Keith - but ultimately decides not to take the risk if Keith doesn't appreciate it and Lance throws his new friend chance out the window. He smiles as he types in a reply.  
  
_Olivia Benson would be so disappointed_  
_and that's not the life_ i'm _trying to lead_  
i _had fun too. I want to talk more  -_  
_if that's not weird to say._  
_I'll be on the lookout for your next vid_  
  
The username burns and tucks itself into his brain as he goes back to his own profile and filters through his followers and yep, Keith's there. Instagram - same. Youtube - definitely. Lance internally kicks himself because how could he miss it? How could he miss Keith slinking into his life without even realizing it? He chalks it up to happening during the course of Lance's social media presence starting to pick up and building that base for his content. Doesn't make him feel as bad that Keith was the same.  
  
He gets another notification from Twitter and opens the last message from Keith.  
  
_def wouldn't want that_  
_it's not weird to say,_  
_I was thinking the same thing so -_  
_ditto_  
  
Plus, Keith felt the same - was just as surprised - but no less happy about Lance following him. Mentally, he names their messaging chat Undercover Mutuals for multiple reasons. And maybe someday, he can actually get the courage to tell Keith about their first inside joke.

Lance turns on the camera and bites his lip before letting a smile take over his face and rubs his hands together.  
  
"Okay, guys. Welcome back to my channel. To the new kids on the block - Hi, I'm Lance. I like to dance and make people laugh, so hopefully you'll enjoy what I do here and stick around. I promise, it'll be worth it. Now, today is going to be a little bit different, as you can see, we're in my car. Today's video is going to be different than my usual content - we're going to be filming on location to go surprise a new friend I met. Maybe you've seen him around here, if not I hope you like him and decide to check out his content by the end of this. We met at the charity event I posted about a couple months ago and hit it off. Obviously, I'm gonna wait on the reveal to link anything, but yeah. Hope you guys enjoy."  
  
Lance winks and fastens his seatbelt, beaming at the camera. "Safety first." He starts the car and begins to slowly back out of his apartment complex parking spot, stopping after a few seconds to end the video and power off the camera before placing it carefully back in its case.  
  
More of those nerves, same pop and fizzle.  
  
He has half an hour to get them in check as he pulls away from the complex and on toward the main road. All the drive does is manage to remind him how thick he'd been for almost two years. Keith says he deserves equal share of the dunce thing, but Keith's a private person, so it would make sense for him not to fact check and cross examine. Lance, on the other hand lives for that shit. On a casual level. Like if he goes on Instagram to see his town's hashtag, he'll go through and try to guess where the person is taking the picture. He's pretty good at that game - especially if the person is on the boardwalk. He could give you the time and exact spot on the boardwalk someone was on if it was asked.  
  
He's a detail guy.  
  
So why a weight room and rock wall he's seen over 50 times didn't clue him in, is wild.  
  
It reminds him that while he's still an observant guy that watches the Earth do its thing, he's still missing a lot on what the world has to show.  
  
In no time, the nerves are still there - though not unpleasant - and he's pulling into the athletic center parking lot. He brings out his camera once more and sets up for a second shot.  
  
"Okay, so we're here at an athletic center to meet up with the new friend. His brother was gracious enough allow me to do this, given I wasn't a serial killer. Which is wild because I'm out here looking like a bean pole and the older brother is straight up built like The Rock, there's _noooooo_ way I'd win in a fight. I want to take this time to quickly remind everyone that if you do meet online friends or personalities, do it in a public space you're familiar with. Have someone go with you or hanging around near by and make sure you have people that know exactly where you're going, what you'll be doing, and how long you'll be gone. Because while it's easier for people to make those connections with someone they never would have had a chance to meet without the internet, there are still people out there that could mean you harm.  
  
"With that said, my siblings and best friend know where I'm at and it's a very public location I'm familiar with. While today's guest and I previously met in a secured location, it's still important to put these measures in check just in case something happens. I do want to say we did get previous permission to film for a bit and only in a certain place. Anyone that walks into frame and has not given consent to be on camera will be blurred out. As well as any company names and locations that would breech anyone's privacy."  
  
Lance took a deep breath and wrapped his hands tight around the steering wheel before looking back at the camera. "Okay, now that we have the disclaimers and warnings in place, so let's do this."  
  
He ends the video, double checks that it's saved, and grabs his backpack, gently cradling the camera as he walks into the athletic building. He flashes his membership badge and walks down the halls toward the rock wall. His shoes squeak on the linoleum, the sound chasing him as he picks up his pace and forces himself not to run down the hallway.  
  
When he pushes through the door, it all kind of hits him again that this is happening.  
  
He and Keith have talked for months.  
  
They have a chat officially named Undercover Mutuals.  
  
They kind of talk all of the time, one conversation bleeding into the next, mundane to the in-depth. Sometimes they video chat and Keith tells him that Lance talking as much he does doesn't annoy him. Lance is a storyteller that's what he does, who he is. Keith likes listening to his stories. Lance assures Keith that his defined line of privacy doesn't make him come across as an asshole, if anyone's got an issue with it by now with how long Keith has been around, they can just get lost.  
  
As Lance approaches the wall, he powers on his camera and smiles at Shiro when the older man turns to him with a small wave.  
  
"He still have absolutely no idea something's up?"  
  
Shiro muffles his laugh behind a hand and turns back to Keith, who is a third of the way up one of the more difficult courses. "Of course not, I'm a terrific actor. Did he tell you how I got him Kosmo?"  
  
Lance feels a smile take over his face as he watches Keith's foot flex for another hold and gets the momentum to reach another hand hold up to his right. "He said you went with him to get Kosmo, not knowing you were getting Kosmo. He was just there and I got from the subtext in Keith speak that Kosmo sort of picked him."  
  
The smile Shiro gives him is all too familiar, that sneaky almost predatory gleam had been painted across Luís, Marco, and Veronica's faces for most of his childhood. He can only imagine what's it's like to be on the receiving end of Shiro's older brother plotting. "Oh no, I went ahead of time and got the shelter people not to adopt him out so I could come back with Keith. So I get him, talk about getting a pet to hang at his apartment with, and suggest something about paying for half."  
  
Lance trails his eyes from Shiro back over to Keith as Shiro continues with the story.  
  
"We get there, I do a little sneaky leading to the kennel Kosmo was in and Kosmo took care of the rest. I told Keith that Kosmo was already adopted and handed him the collar I had in my pocket."  
  
"Oh man, the look on his face had to be great."  
  
"Yes. He cried."  
  
Lance slaps a hand up to his mouth and coos. "Oh, he cried. Oh my god, that's the most precious thing I've ever heard."  
  
Shiro smiles and turns back to watch Keith, two-thirds of the way up and taking it slow to plan his movements, and Lance remembers he's recording. He ends the video, double checks it saves, and makes a note to keep that story for safe keeping. He lifts the camera, looking to Shiro for permission before he starts it up again. Shiro gives him the okay and he begins the next video, tightening the shot to Keith and gradually zooming in as he begins to record.  
  
"And here we have our mystery guest. It has been confirmed that he still has no idea that I'm here thanks, again, to his brother who-is-built-like-The-Rock." That gets a chuckle from Shiro, one that Lance hopes the camera picks up. "We're going to have quiet on the set for now. I don't want him to hear me talking before it's time for the reveal."  
  
A partial truth, the bigger, all-encompassing one is dangerous to have with Shiro less than two feet away. He had words planned, a witty little documentary voiceover to spend the time, but it all goes up in smoke. Turns to dust in his mouth because Keith is beautiful and so in the moment and he's in a harness that makes his ass look heart-stopping. He's going to need all of his focus on not letting Shiro know he's checking out his kid brother - there are just some things not worth dying for.  
  
The spotter gives Keith a little more slack as he surges forward for an easier resting spot to analyze the remaining hand and foot holds before he gets to the ceiling and the little victory bell. He hears Keith say something to the spotter, the spotter gives a confirmation, and there's a quiet count of _1-2-3_ before Keith pushes himself up, shoes scraping against the bare part of the wall as he lunges for a hand hold and another for his foot. The spotter makes sure to meet him movement for movement, giving him the support he needs from the harness.  
  
One more of those counts and Keith scrambles, his breathing is coming a little heavier as he makes it and the bell goes _ding!_  
  
Shiro and the spotter and a few other people that seem to know Keith cheer for him, but Lance ensures his voice is the loudest. It borders on heinous catcall, but it startles Keith enough to have him slip down the wall a bit and glancing back over his shoulder to scan the room. Lance's camera is zoomed almost all of the way in and Lance hopes and prays he's standing still enough to capture the moment Keith's eyes lock on him and go comically wide.  
  
_"Lance?!"_  
  
Keith gently pushes away from the wall as the spotter eases him down.  
  
A little part of Lance thrills at the signs of anticipation in Keith's body language.  
  
He's down on the floor and out of the harness before the spotter can even reach him to help him out of it. He throws a thanks and smile at the guy anyways and makes a beeline for him and Shiro. Keith seems to have the same trouble Lance had in the hall, he holds himself back to a brisk walk and Lance is almost giddy. Keith is a little sweaty with pieces of his hair falling out of his ponytail around his face and his chest heaving to catch his breath, but there's an excitement bouncing in his step, wracking his shoulders as he looks genuinely happy to see Lance.  
  
It's a look Lance is familiar with hoping for, but never expected to get.  
  
Keith reaches Lance and comes close to stepping too close for the frame, but Shiro turns to him and it stops Keith in his tracks - like he was almost caught for something. "What're you doing here?"  
  
"I decided to surprise you! Shiro agreed to help me and _voila_ \- here I am. Also, I'm recording."  
  
Keith's eyes snap down to the camera he didn't notice in Lance's hands and his smile drops as he groans and tries to block the camera lens. "You didn't. I probably look so gross. How could you expose me like this?"  
  
Lance bites lip and pushes hard past the impulse to tell Keith he actually looked really hot. He scoffs. "Keith, you run a fitness vlog, people sweat. Also, everyone's going to be too impressed to look at your hair." Lance raises his eyes from the camera up to Keith. "I can delete that part of the footage later. And you have absolute, full reign over what gets posted of you. Don't worry, dude."  
  
Keith laughs and shakes his head. "I'm not all that worried about it, you're a good guy - but that's cool to know, thanks Lance."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Keith swipes a hand through his bangs as he's shaking his head in disbelief again. "This is crazy that you'd show up here today. I was just thinking about messaging you to see if you wanted to do a video together."  
  
"What?" Lance's hold on the camera slackens and has him scrambling for a better hold as its weight slips in his hands. " _No way,_ don't play me like this, Keith."  
  
"No, I'm serious!" That grin is back, here to end Lance's life short. Keith points down to the camera and ticks his head to his shoulder. "But you obviously beat me to it. What's your plan for today?"  
  
This is doing something for Lance. This edgy looking guy that climbs mountains with his brother for fun is beaming up at Lance, ready to drop whatever he had going on for today to be with Lance, to film whatever grand plans he thinks Lance has up his sleeve. When in all honesty, he didn't think he'd get this far. Didn't think Keith would be so responsive and pleased and happy to hang out with him.  
  
Lance ends the recording and powers off his camera. "I didn't actually have anything planned beyond this - wasn't sure all that much if you dug surprises. So, open ending depending on how into it you were."  
  
Keith glances at Shiro, then back to Lance and once more at Shiro. "Let's get you on the rock wall and we can talk about that collaboration down the road?"  
  
"Yes, absolutely." He says it a little too fast, his words sort of trip over each other, and Keith is merciful not to point it out. But it has Shiro's head ticking in an interested manner and Lance knows from right there going forward Shiro would see everything he thought and felt painted clear across his forehead, down his arms, and over his chest.  
  
Getting Lance on the rock wall is a short fix - Keith shows him where to get the right shoes. A spotter helps him into the harness and he's up, up, up. Not doing half bad and he's extremely grateful for whatever force is looking out for him because it would be a real downer if he ate rock wall while Shiro and Keith were watching and Keith was filming on his camera. He gets to the top and rings that victory bell and it's music to his ears because Shiro and the spotter are cheering him on and Keith's laugh fights over all of it to ring in Lance's head - sweeter than even the victory bell.  
  
They end it with Shiro and Keith climbing the hardest part of the wall and timing to see who could finish it in the shortest amount of time.  
  
Shiro wins by six seconds.  
  
Lance teases Keith about his short legs and earns a snort from Shiro when Keith fumbles and splutters and tries to fight him on it.

* * *

"Hello again, you guys, and welcome to another video! From what you can probably see, I'm filming in a new location today. If you guys follow me on Twitter or Insta, you'll have seen the poll I put up a few weeks ago for my followers to vote on. From what you guys can tell, I've recently made a couple of new friends with guys I really enjoyed seeing and watching here. Keith and I met for a local charity event and found out that we live in the same zipcode and were actually subscribed, followed, all that jazz to each other _this entire time._ I'm exposing it here first before his brother or any of my siblings - _Rachel_ \- try to dish on it later.  
  
"We talked about doing a video together and had a few ideas we couldn't settle on. Well, the polls have spoken and we are doing your much requested Q&A. But first - look who it is!"  
  
Keith slides into frame in a desk chair on wheels and smiles at the camera. "Hey!"  
  
"For those unfamiliar, this is Keith! He runs a fitness and adventure channel that his brother, Shiro, frequently appears on. All of the links to his social media accounts will be listed in the description box below." Lance turns his attention away from the camera to look at Keith, trying his best not to ruin another take from laughing. "So how's it feel to host another channel for a day?"  
  
"I think you only begged to film here so you could meet Kosmo."  
  
"And you are absolutely correct. I wanted very desperately to meet Kosmo. Kosmo, is Keith's rescue dog. He's a Newfoundland and ridiculously smart. Hang on, let me-" Lance fishes his phone out from his pocket and swipes against it before holding his phone screen up to the camera, waiting for it to focus in the viewfinder. "You can see my arm under him and that's it. If I nearly suffocated, I couldn't even be mad, this dog gives next level cuddles."  
  
Keith shakes his head and shrugs. "I can't really fight that one."  
  
Lance takes his phone back and swipes through a few more applications before getting to the one he needs.  
  
"Keith's not really a chatty volgger, but we all know I can more than make up for it. So, go easy on him this round, guys." Lance winks into the camera, definitely not holding back his smile as Keith groans next to him.  
  
"I just didn't think anyone would ever be interested in that kind of thing. Like oh, I woke up at 5 a.m. for a run, came back to take a shower, and then, ate a bagel." Keith elbows Lance in the side when he snorts at Keith's answer.  
  
"Now just to rehash the basics here - Keith and I have pre-selected questions you guys sent in. We will read them with the person's username included if they gave us permission to. If you don't see your question answered, it could have already been asked/answered in another one or it could be that we chose to omit it for privacy reasons. We want this to be good time for everyone involved." Lance spins around in his chair and plants his feet on the floor to stop him once he's facing Keith. "Ready to get started?"  
  
Keith grins at him and Lance definitely doesn't miss the subtle raise of his eyebrow. "Yeah, let's do this."

* * *

It doesn't take long for Lance's channel to become a spillover channel - this weird middle ground of goofy videos and aesthetic, art student level videos that take his breath away when he's editing a hiking trip he and Keith go on or the first time Keith, Shiro, their friend, Matt, and Matt's partner took Lance out on a beginner level mountain climb. Doesn't take long for Keith's channel to become a mesh of the same things as Lance eases him into the off-the-cuff day-to-day stuff he didn't think people would be interested in.  
  
There's a video of Lance lazily skateboarding in the park down a paved path while holding Kosmo's leash, who's eagerly pulling Lance along and meets the challenge with gusto, on Keith's that got a nice number of views and circulation. Yeah, he falls and scrapes his elbow. Kosmo nuzzles his cheek in apology and Keith's trying to bite back that soft laughter while he's asking Lance if he's okay. Easily one of his favorite videos. It's in the pauses and cuts, the space behind the camera where Keith's wearing Lance's hoodie. A language just for them in plain sight. The bit after where Keith hops up onto the bathroom counter to help Lance clean up the cut and teases Lance about being a baby for hissing at even the barest touch of hydrogen peroxide, but still smoothes his thumb thoughtfully over the band-aid.  
  
The all-encompassing thrill that washes over Lance when Keith takes the chance to pull Lance closer by his belt loops and kisses him for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rock climbed a lil frequently at an athletic center in high school, so I have very, very basic knowledge, so don't @ me. I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> also here's [Kosmo](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/09/3d/c7/093dc7af809e8df21373278927cd7d6e.jpg)


	8. long live fighting dragons (with you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> klance au month day 16: thunderpike  
> rating: t for swearing

He tore his spare shirt in two, stuffing one half into the thief’s bag and folding the piece left in his hand end over end until he was satisfied with its shape and thickness. Without mercy - because he’s stuck with a dumbass with a hero complex - he presses the square onto the injury over Pike’s shoulder and maybe reveled in the high pitched whine and hiss he got for the treatment. Tawny ears pressed low in warning, the tail to match snapped against the back of his legs as a curse was bit back at him.

“You deserve it. Learn to take a hit anywhere other than your back next time, yeah? There’s literally only so much tissue to continually wreck before you’re permanently screwed.” He yanked a roll of binding from his bag and started the process of wrapping the injury over Pike’s shoulder, down around under his arm, and back over. “Also - _stop taking fucking hits._ ”

That earned him a nasty snort that echoed harshly around the quiet thick of the forest, slapping flat over the cadence of the bubbling brook. “And what? Let some low level gremlin get the best of you?”

He followed the straightened line of Pike’s back, down to the line of downy fur over his spine at the small of his back where it disappeared into the waistline of his pants. Grateful at least that the injury hadn’t landed anywhere closer to his spine. Upside? Pike still had full use of his tail.

Downside? He still had use of that damn tail.

He yanked on the bandage again for good measure before securing it, whatever quip Pike had for him died on his tongue as his breath left him in a coughing fit.

“They were nowhere near getting the upper hand.”

Pike turned to look at him, sweat dotted his forehead and his frame shook from exertion - but the fire in his eyes still burned. “ _Oh?_ I didn’t realize The Prince of Darkness Cursed Under a Full Moon and Bolt of Lightning had eyes in the back of his head.”

“Don’t. Call me. That.” He growled out, he looked away and crossed his arms over his chest as he spit his next words out. 

“And you? Catty Smart Mouth That Hasn’t Even Grown Into His Tail-” An irritated rumbling rose in timbre from Pike’s chest at those words. “-that’s willing to block one hit for me just to make him open to an even worse hit? You won’t survive out here long with that strategy.”

Pike stood up, too fast as a twinge of pain tugged at his brows and twisted the corner of his mouth before he blinked the uncomfortable pull on his shoulder away and refocused his attention back on him. “Yeah, you like to throw that in my face a lot, huh, Thun? Never gonna make it out of the forest to the castle or back home or out of the next fight, let alone my next meal. Always a yowling beacon for trouble, remember that line? One of your better, in my opinion.”

He swallowed as Pike’s ears slowly rose from flat against his hair, raised as tall as they could go and angled forward. The tips caught the dappled sunlight through the leaves igniting them to a fiery red. They were nearly the same height, but Pike always knew how to make the scant difference between them work in his advantage as he glared down the length of his nose.

“You ever think that maybe, just _maybe_ , you’re an even bigger beacon? I’ve seen just as many wanted posters and double the bounties on you. You’re a target.”

He threw his hands in the air and stocked off - he needed the distance to reinforce his ground. “What happened to you working alone? The whole lone wolf thing?” Because he was going to win this argument. He was totally winning.

Pike rolled his eyes and huffed, the tension draining out of his eyes a bit as he sat back down. “I’ve also got a thing for strays, it seems.”

He walked back and reached forward to flick the tip of Pike’s ear. He was expecting the quick reflex - the warm, dark hand latching onto his wrist as Pike narrowed his eyes on him and brushed his other hand over his ear to soothe the spot.

“I didn’t ask you to take the hit.”

Pike met his eyes, sharp blues glinting in the sun and right past all of the stonewalls he’d worked for ages to build in the dangerous years. “How many times do I have to tell you? _You don’t have to_.”

There wasn’t any heat in his words.

Pike brushed his thumb over the delicate skin of his wrist and thoughtfully looked him over.

Scratch that. There was plenty of heat.

There was no bite.

He shook his head and weakly tried to pull his hand from Pike’s. “You shouldn’t. It’s going to get you killed.”

Pike snorted, finally dropping his hand and reaching for his clean tunic to pull it back over his head. “You’re killing me anyways. Besides, at least this way I get the scars that make me look grizzled and handsome. Everyone loves a battle-worn hero with the heart of gold thing.”

“You are aware you’re a thief, right? I don’t think heart of gold is applicable here.”

Pike pulled on the rest of his clothes, refusing any help as he awkwardly managed to wind his scarf around his shoulders with his uninjured arm. “C'mon, we’re losing daylight. I don’t even want to think about what’s crawling around out here after nightfall. I think I’ve earned an actual bed, a hot bath, and warm meal after today.”

“With the hard-earned money you stole?”

“Semantics.”

And if he paid the inn keeper and his kitchen staff before Pike could even reach for his sack, what of it? Or snuck the snacks he knew Pike favored into his sack for him to find later?

Heated a bath with magic from deep in his bones and pressed what residual strength he had after the battle over the injury to speed its healing? Yeah, it got him a pointed look.

Maybe it wasn’t strictly necessary for him to help ease Pike into the water or sink down in it himself.

Pike hummed as he unthreaded the cord from his hair and gently started to undo the braids he put in a few days before, carding those long, nimble fingers scalp to end. Not strictly necessary either, but there was no denying the way he lazily leaned into Pike when he massaged his fingers into the nape of his neck.

He brushed his knuckles over the ridge of his pointed ear and pulled him closer. “You’re forgiven.”

He elbowed Pike in the ribs, pulling the force to a playful nudge as their knees knocked together and water threatened to spill over the edge of the tub.

It wasn’t for anyone to see and judge.

If they did, they were smart enough not to test the twosome by voicing it.

Lance wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders and snickered in his ear. “Thunderpike’s gotta nice ring to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s quite a bit shorter in comparison to my other fills for klance au month, I didn’t originally plan on filling this prompt since I wasn’t super sure how to write thunderpike w/o making it weird and I know less than three and a half things about dnd.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this small thing!


	9. to trees grow to the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an early morning goodbye, wild love not held back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a loose httyd au where things that happen to Hiccup are split between Keith and Lance, though Keith operates mostly in Astrid's place/Lance as Hiccup.
> 
> rating: m for suggestive themes, nothing explicit

He had hoped for snow.  
  
Had chanted the word so repeatedly in his head over the night that it turned his thoughts into icy crystals. With Lance's warm body wrapped carefully around his own, his palm flat against Keith's chest, those snowflake thoughts stuck for less than a breath before melting - taking with it Keith's excuses, his best convincing, all of the words he was few of saved up for this last moment to change Lance's mind.  
  
He knew Keith too well, could read the shift of Keith's leg as his hand fell away from Keith's chest so he could raise up. He pressed his hand to Keith's shoulder to ease him onto his back so he would be facing Lance. The blanket whispered in the deafening quiet as Lance slotted one of his legs between Keith's and leaned forward to gently brush his mouth over Keith's.  
  
Keith's breath rattled in his lungs as his heart beat like a drum against his bones, the fight leaving him in favor of helping Lance pull his shirt off.  
  
It passed in a haze, too fast to commit to memory the feel of his own fingers tangled into the short hair at the back of Lance's neck and the stuttered words, broken sentences Lance spoke in hushes against his temple. At some point, as the crisp night washed back over Keith, the blanket had been kicked to the end of bed. Yet, it was still too warm.  
  
The cold season was well off yet, early dawns were just now feeling the cooling breezes of the autumn and the next morning taunted him with a heat the promised stifled breezes if they were lucky. He kept his eyes on his hands, on the motion of finding fresh clothes and putting them on and looking in Lance's direction only when he was absolutely sure there was no chance of being caught.  
  
It left Keith to watch the pull of muscle underneath the blooming scar over Lance's back as he sat on the bed, the teasing drag of his prosthetic against the wooden floor done on purpose as the hair on Keith's arms stood on end.  
  
Summers had passed to see Lance sure on his foot and the leg of smooth, dark wood, metal, and worn hinges that Hunk and Coran had made for him. His shoulders grew broad and sure - sure of his space in this new world. He grew into the gangly length of his legs and right out of the clumsy knocking knees that made him look young and hopeless and too earnest to be trusted alone.  
  
Even the bond between he and his dragon second nature, they acted together without verbal or physical cues. Lance was one of their best riders and his dragon fast and agile, they fought with definitive fluidity, but there was bite behind the blue eyes that sparked with laughter and blue scales that glittered in the moonlight.  
  
Aside from his mother and grandmother and father and the wild tangle of siblings that loved Lance wild and fierce, there was no one that knew more how capable Lance was.  
  
Lance's family had always stood beside him and Keith hadn't always been so merciful or kind or anywhere close to lenient. Once upon a time, Keith had happily sat at the very end of the list of people on Lance's side - putting as many villagers between him and Lance as humanly possible. How the village leader had sired a son so sloppy with sword and shield and fewer guts than a pampered house cat had been beyond Keith.  
  
Their lives were tied now with time stretching out ahead of them, but it still didn't keep Keith from glancing back on all of the time and heated words wasted instead of- _well_. When Keith was young and sharp, scathing edges with little patience for the number of times he'd had to stop one of the winged beasts they practiced with from plunging its horn right into Lance's heart when he failed - _refused_ \- to beat it.  
  
Being proved so outrageously wrong had been the greatest thing that could have happened to Keith. He had climbed and clawed up that list for Lance. There was an ache that sat heavy under his heart, uncomfortably twisting in his ribcage for the days they could have had. It meant now he was hard pressed to let go for even a second, afraid it would give room for the old him or some disastrous stroke of _unluck_ to have its fun with them.  
  
Separately, they'd each been beacons for bad luck of some sort. Together, Keith feared it would split the world.  
  
Keith shoved his boots on and opened their front door, the scent of salt and hay from the stables and burning embers of dragon fire flooded his lungs.  
  
A sharp yank at his hair pulled an irritated huff out of him as Keith came back to himself, whipping around to face Lance, his mouth tipped up in a smirk at him.  
  
"You're overthinking again." To soothe the rough treatment, Lance rolled the small, red bead woven into the end of the braid below Keith's ear between his fingers. Lance hummed under his breath as he moved carefully back up the plait to smooth his thumb against Keith's scalp. "What else have you thought to say to keep me here?"  
  
Keith took a breath and focused on the feeling of Lance's fingers trailing back down his hair again to press his fingertips against the pattern carved into the bead - a gift from Lance shortly before their engagement. He wrapped his hand around Lance's wrist and hand where it hovered over Keith's shoulder, forcing his words to bend and meet, not to bite as they had earlier in the night before, since the dismissal of the council meeting hours before that.  
  
"If you won't stay, then neither will I. We'll go together. Veronica can stand in your stead and I'll go with you and Rachel."  
  
Lance huffed back at him, the light morning breeze ruffled his hair as he arched back his neck. _"Keeith_ , I need to do this. We have to be discreet, blend into the sky and your dragon is bright red. I need _you_ here. We've talked about this."  
  
Keith tightened the hold he had on Lance's hand before he could pull away - before his hands were filled with his pack and reigns to saddle on Blue and Keith lost the last tether to changing Lance's mind. _"You_ talked _at_ me."  
  
Lance didn't pull away as he silently maneuvered them from the entryway to close the door behind them. He chuckled as he started to speak. "We've made progress, usually conversation with you _is_ talking at you and hoping you were listening enough to eventually show up wherever we needed you." Lance turned his hand in Keith's to brush his thumb over Keith's knuckles. "A vast improvement. Not so long ago, nobody could tell you anything and now look where we are."  
  
A grin split his features and crinkled his eyes as Keith's sputtered denials fell on deaf ears.  
  
"I wasn't _that_ bad."  
  
A snort puffed warm smoke into the still air, curling around Keith's back and snarking in his ears. Keith snapped his head over his shoulder to the pile that their two dragons had happily made in the yard by tangling themselves together as more rumbling and sneaky shifting rumbled the ground beneath their feet.  
  
Lance's dragon - _sure_ \- but his own? Know-it-all, cantankerous, hot-headed _traitor_.  
  
"You _were_." Lance brought their hands toward his chest, turning Keith's attention back to him as he pressed his mouth against Keith's hand. "But that's okay. It's what makes you _you_."  
  
Another teasing press of Lance's lips closer to his wrist.  
  
"One of the great qualities I'd hoped to keep me company and endless amusement for our many years to come."  
  
Keith tried to yank his hand away from Lance's but only succeeded in bringing himself closer as Lance held true and planted his feet. Their noses nearly knocked against each other when Keith stumbled into him, the soft earth churning beneath the heel of his boot as Lance's snicker fanned the bangs that fell over his brow.  
  
Another irritating development as Lance grew _slightly_ taller than him the summer before.  
  
"Missions like these are what's going to keep us from having those years, Lance."  
  
Lance chuckled, quickly leaning forward to gently brush his nose along Keith's. The movement light and ghosting, sent a chill down Keith's spine. "That's _hilarious_ coming from you, _Keith_. If danger and trouble were taking too long to find you, you'd find _them_ with a sword in your hand and wildfire in your eyes. I imagine you're why we practiced in the arena, otherwise you would've just kept going until you walked right off land and into the ocean, Ko-"  
  
_"That's_ not my name anymore." Keith's throat bobbed as he swallowed, willing the uncomfortable weight on the back of his tongue to dissipate. He'd meant for the words to be lighter, but ultimately failed as Lance jerked a bit in his spot.  
  
He gave Lance a more serious look without any actual heat behind it as he locked his gaze with Lance's.  
  
A warning.  
  
A promise.  
  
The rest of their lives in one simple word.  
  
"No, it's not." Lance's lips pressed together as his eyes flicked over Keith. "Old habits die hard. As matched as we were to be infuriatingly hard-headed and impossible back then, I didn't hate it. It was your own way of letting me at least a little bit in and then, we made it into something different after I-"  
  
Keith cleared his throat, allowing his bangs to fall in front of his eyes as he glanced down to Lance's prosthetic - a smooth expanse of armor before it jutted out with reinforcements and an extra layer of armor from just above his knee, down. Keith's mind flashed back to those days, when his name was the shadow of his passed father, a missing mother, and more often than not, a curse on the lips of his mentors and peers when he had gone off and done whatever he wanted. A shaky stilt to lean on when that name was whispered by Lance's father reverently upon his mother's unexpected return alive.  
  
To the middle ground where he and Lance fought with and against each other as the tides of Keith's faith had changed and been challenged and reinforced as Lance relearned to fly on his dragon and stand and walk and run and anchor his weight on a new leg.  
  
He seemed taller, after, than he ever had with two legs before.  
  
Keith felt a warm weight against his forehead - Lance's gently pressing against his. A reverberating sound cool and warm like the promise of the early morning reached his ears and he groaned. "Lance, _don't_."  
  
The weight against his head left so Lance could then press his mouth to Keith's brow, still humming, and carefully pulled at the bend of Keith's arm to bring them down the few steps of their stoop to even ground, closer together.  
  
"I am." Lance continued to hum unbothered while Keith wriggled in vain against Lance's hold, knocking their chests together. " _Yoo_ ou remember what I said? What we promised that day? Because if I recall it went a little something like-"  
  
His knee jerked against Lance's with how close they were when Keith tried again to put some distance between them. "Lance, this is a cheap shot. Do _not_ -"  
  
Lance pulled away quickly, tipping Keith's chin up gently with one hand as his other smoothed the shaggy hair away from Keith's eyes. He watched Lance's throat work and catch for a moment before he smiled softly and struck another hit to Keith's heart. "I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning and gladly ride the waves of life - if you will marry me."  
  
Keith sighed in defeat, closing his eyes as Lance's hand moved from his chin to cradle the back of his neck, thumb smoothing over the corner of his jaw. "I guess I should just be glad you're reciting them like we did _that day_ and not singing."  
  
Not that Lance's even and warm timbre like kindling so close was any better than that alternative.  
  
But the singing wouldn't have felt so unguarded and open. The world felt wide and way too quiet, as if it stilled and dared not to breathe so it could see the moments Keith selfishly kept between them behind a door painted with the silhouette of their dragons flying side-by-side.  
  
"No scorching sun nor freezing cold will stop me on my journey." Lance tilted his head when Keith opened his eyes. "This sounds familiar, yeah?"  
  
Keith jabbed at Lance's side, brows scrunched together. "It's supposed to be a journey _to_ each other - not _away."_  
  
"That's one interpretation. I like it. I like that I'm learning new things about you, about those vows after two years." Lance's hands dropped to Keith's arms, cradling his elbows.  "I don't think you really care to hear mine, do you?"  
  
Keith slapped his shoulder, derisively scoffing. "It'll justify your cause, so no."  
  
Lance bit his lip, some of his laughter falling from his shoulders as the sky grew lighter. "I love you." He ducked quickly then, pressing his mouth against Keith's once, twice, and a third time that lingered longest before he slowly pulled away. "And I'm going to tell you anyway."  
  
Keith almost yanked him back with the reluctance that had squeezed its way between both of them when Lance pulled away. Everything else was in disorder and contradiction within himself, but melting his mouth against Lance's felt right. Best course of action in hopes of a slower moment he could commit to memory - the things that had his own knees go weak and air coming out in sharp huffs through Lance's nose.  
  
Time always sped forward when Keith was with Lance and anytime he tried to hang on tighter, it slipped through his fingers all the faster.  
  
So he gave in a bit, chased Lance back until their mouths slotted together. Lance sucked in a wavering, surprised breath as he met Keith. Keith had meant to lead the kiss, but with a calculated nip at his lips that thought quickly slipped away. When Lance pulled away again, he steadied Keith, eyes lit with the spark that held Keith in place and from starting something anew.  
  
"With your hand, and your snark and sword, and fight and anger, and happiness and even the sad - I could do those things. I could do _anything_." Lance's breath hitched on his last word as it echoed in the quiet it left behind. "Because you're _here_ , I'll come back. I'll hurry negligently to be back at your side. I'll happily count the endless days before I find if I'd be welcomed into Valhalla. The hall will only hear my footsteps if there's another at my side. _Nothing_ will stand in my way, _hjarta_."  
  
_Your mighty words astound me._  
  
Keith swallowed, not caring that it did nothing to help steady his voice as he yanked Lance into another kiss that seared and clacked harshly against their teeth. "I've no need for mighty deeds. Stupid, reckless, selfish deeds."  
  
Lance tapped the side of his finger against Keith's cheek. "Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your laugh beside me."  
  
He moved back enough to properly meet Lance's eye with a burning gaze. _"Tell me_ you didn't make this decision because my mother is back."  
  
Lance sighed, a little of his amused bravado slipping from his straightened frame. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a small part."  
  
"I'm not a _child_ , I-"  
  
"If you went with me and something happened, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself or look Krolia in the eye again." Lance planted his hands on each of Keith's shoulders and sighed, weary and suddenly aged. "It isn't because I don't think you would be weak or distracted, it's selfish - you're right - because I know how much leaving my family hurts every time and for the longest, you didn't have that and now you do and I want you to have as much time as possible with her. You've spent enough time without each other."  
  
Keith swallowed.  
  
One of Lance's hands combed through the ends of his hair as he looked Keith over and stalled his answer.  
  
It meant admitting there had been a secret between them.  
  
"Yeah, I...didn't know how to bring it up without upsetting you and I know right now is literally probably the worst time but I-."  
  
Keith exhaled deeply through his nose, taking a step closer back to Lance. "And what makes you think I'd be what this village needs in your absence?"  
  
"You may not see it, but everyone looks at you differently now - and not just because Krolia's here reminding them that you are the only son of the village's strongest warriors from those darker times, but because you became one in your own right. Sure, you may have taken your time and dragged your feet to get there, but you did. Not to mention what you've done for me."  
  
A rebuttal was sharp on Keith's tongue, but interrupted by Lance closing that distance between them again, trailing his mouth down Keith's temple, his cheek, the corner of his mouth before planting his mouth firmly against Keith's. "You let me in, let me see."  
  
"After insulting you to the gods and back a few times."  
  
"Hey, we were _both_ active parts in that. Stop interrupting, I'm trying to get you agreeable and pliant."  
  
Keith jerked back from Lance, eyebrows disappearing into his bangs. _"Pliant_ , Lance?"  
  
"Okay, poor word choice, but yes. My father has built this place to be strong and take part in their own future. Out of four other siblings that came into their own so much faster and caused less of a fuss-"  
  
_"Dragon uprising,"_ Keith whispered with a wide smile breaking over him.  
  
Lance slapped his hand over Keith's mouth, the worn hide of his gloves smooth against Keith's cheek. "Everyone was very good at pointing out that they never knew how my family sired a complete goof. But, I found who I was meant to be. You all changed with me and when my father named me as heir, it was met with cheers I wasn't prepared for." His hand dropped from Keith's mouth to run his fingers through his own hair, mussing it up more.  
  
"Suddenly my judgement was trusted and accepted and- and well, I started my lessons to take his place and married you. I'm completing those final lessons now and I wouldn't have married someone that didn't love this place as much as I do. Someone that wouldn't fight just as much as me - or even more than - to protect it." Lance let his hands fall away to his sides as he smiled. "How could there be anyone else?"  
  
Keith groaned, his head falling to Lance's shoulder. "I'm impulsive and terrible at self-discipline when it comes to getting enough rest and I have absolutely no experience and you're this prodigy strategist and patient and kind and incessantly endearing even when you mess something up, but after that you're this ridiculously fast learner. There's no one _like you_ , Lance."  
  
"Can I get all of that in writing?"  
  
Keith lurched from Lance and punched his arm. "Can you _not_ make a joke out of this?"  
  
Lance rolled his shoulder, eyes drifting to the sky as hatchlings soared overhead. "It doesn't feel good or easy, you know. I'm having just as hard of a time with this as you are."  
  
The rest of the village would wake soon and their time would be up.  
  
He clapped his hand harshly against the armor over Lance's shoulder to get his attention. Those blue eyes dropped tiredly back on him and nerves threatened to lodge in his throat because this wasn't how he wanted to end this before the greatest love of his life disappeared into the clouds with no definite date of return. " _Lance_ , I won't be named chief before you get the chance to yourself."  
  
And then it was the Lance Keith saw only on occasion, burning intense and swift as he pulled Keith to the side of their house, out of general view should their neighbors stumble from their doors. The motion had both of their dragons craning their heads in a direction to follow them, a click of claws and an impatient snort told Keith and Lance the dragons wouldn't go after them, but they weren't enthused about the switch in atmosphere.  
  
Going back and forth bringing each other closer to step back before was nothing like now as Keith's back pressed against the wall of their home, his hand sneaking up to rest on Lance's cheek out of habit. There was a trace amount of stubble there pricking his thumb.  
  
"Some days I wake up and it's like the first morning after we married and I don't want to leave our bed. I only want to spend the day listening to your heartbeat and to your voice, your laugh. I look at you and I can't believe I get this, that you chose me just as much as I chose you and what I could have possibly done to be your someone worthwhile." Lance huffed, shaking his head. "Sometimes I think you do things you know drive me crazy on purpose. Until times like these and I forget how gloriously, absolutely dense you are."  
  
Keith opened his mouth to retort, but Lance stopped him with a kiss soft enough to punch the breath out of him.  
  
Lance brushed his thumb over the scar on Keith's jaw and leaned back fractionally, but stayed so close that Keith's eyes nearly crossed to keep looking at him.  "Sometimes it's frustrating, especially if you don't even realize you've said or done something to completely knock me off my feet and we have an audience to it. Most of the time though, it's one of my favorite things about you because it just means I get to point it out and your ears and face go as red as your dragon. And flinging myself away from that - for who knows how long across who knows how many seas - feels like the biggest mistake of my life."  
  
He pressed his forehead to Keith's. He laughed gently as he threaded his fingers through Keith's hair. "No trees grow to the sky."  
  
Keith swayed forward, his lips catching against Lance's. "That's not a reassuring sentiment."  
  
"We'll make it one ." Lance pulled away, taking Keith's hand tightly in his and raising them up between them. "For the dancing and the dreaming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trees grow forever - Nothing lasts forever. But rather than it being the sadder meaning, here it's Lance telling Keith his absence won't last forever. He does get back, though it takes him longer than he originally promised, but they get their reunion and cliche and great.
> 
> [tumblr](https://echotovalley.tumblr.com/) (i've changed my url again i'm so sorry)


End file.
